Riverwater Partners LLC Makes New $1.41 Million Investment in SunOpta, Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL)

Riverwater Partners LLC bought a new stake in SunOpta, Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL - Free Report) TSE: SOY during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 290,123 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,410,000. Riverwater Partners LLC owned approximately 0.24% of SunOpta at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Stifel Financial Corp acquired a new stake in SunOpta in the 4th quarter valued at about $326,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of SunOpta in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $733,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in shares of SunOpta by 276.9% in the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 80,832 shares of the company's stock valued at $622,000 after purchasing an additional 59,384 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of SunOpta in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,289,000. Finally, Wesbanco Bank Inc. lifted its position in SunOpta by 203.6% during the first quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 193,100 shares of the company's stock worth $938,000 after buying an additional 129,500 shares in the last quarter. 85.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SunOpta Trading Up 1.4%

NASDAQ:STKL traded up $0.08 on Friday, hitting $5.99. The stock had a trading volume of 667,402 shares, compared to its average volume of 789,539. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $5.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $6.21. SunOpta, Inc. has a 1-year low of $3.65 and a 1-year high of $8.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The stock has a market cap of $704.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -46.08 and a beta of 1.47.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL - Get Free Report) TSE: SOY last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $201.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $195.09 million. SunOpta had a negative net margin of 1.90% and a positive return on equity of 11.65%. Equities research analysts expect that SunOpta, Inc. will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised SunOpta from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th.

Insider Buying and Selling at SunOpta

In related news, CEO Brian W. Kocher acquired 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $5.72 per share, for a total transaction of $57,200.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 10,000 shares in the company, valued at $57,200. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

SunOpta Profile

SunOpta Inc engages in manufacture and sale of plant-based and fruit-based food and beverage products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company provides plant-based beverages utilizing oat, almond, soy, coconut, rice, hemp, and other bases under the Dream and West Life brands; oat-based creamers under the SOWN brand; ready-to-drink protein shakes; and nut, grain, seed, and legume based beverages; packaged teas and concentrates; and meat and vegetable broths and stocks.