The Simply Good Foods Company $SMPL Shares Sold by UBS Group AG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG sharply reduced its stake in Simply Good Foods by 75.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 359,105 shares and leaving it with 117,212 shares worth about $2.35 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted positions, while 88.45% of the stock remains held by institutions and hedge funds. Insider buying was notable, with directors James M. Kilts and Clayton C. Daley Jr. both purchasing shares recently.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans cautious: the consensus rating is Hold with a consensus price target of $21.64, while the stock recently traded around $11.69 after the company reported better-than-expected EPS but weaker-than-expected revenue.

UBS Group AG cut its holdings in The Simply Good Foods Company (NASDAQ:SMPL - Free Report) by 75.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 117,212 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 359,105 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned about 0.13% of Simply Good Foods worth $2,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Simply Good Foods by 125.4% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 967 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 538 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Simply Good Foods in the third quarter valued at $36,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in Simply Good Foods in the second quarter valued at $87,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in Simply Good Foods in the first quarter valued at $114,000. Finally, CWM LLC raised its stake in Simply Good Foods by 117.8% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,673 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 3,068 shares in the last quarter. 88.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Simply Good Foods news, Director James M. Kilts acquired 80,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $12.39 per share, with a total value of $991,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 172,854 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,141,661.06. This trade represents a 86.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Clayton C. Daley, Jr. acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.78 per share, for a total transaction of $117,800.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 111,743 shares in the company, valued at $1,316,332.54. This represents a 9.83% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 8.76% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Simply Good Foods in a report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. UBS Group reduced their target price on Simply Good Foods from $16.00 to $13.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. Mizuho set a $19.00 target price on Simply Good Foods in a report on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Simply Good Foods from $32.00 to $20.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $14.00 price target (down from $24.00) on shares of Simply Good Foods in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $21.64.

Simply Good Foods Stock Performance

Shares of SMPL stock opened at $11.69 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a PE ratio of -9.82 and a beta of 0.21. The Simply Good Foods Company has a 52-week low of $10.21 and a 52-week high of $35.15. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $12.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.56. The company has a quick ratio of 2.87, a current ratio of 5.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ:SMPL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $326.01 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $345.08 million. Simply Good Foods had a positive return on equity of 9.72% and a negative net margin of 7.46%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.46 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Simply Good Foods Company will post 1.54 EPS for the current year.

Simply Good Foods Profile

Simply Good Foods Co NASDAQ: SMPL is a North American consumer packaged foods company specializing in better-for-you nutrition products. The company’s portfolio centers on two well-established brands, Atkins and Quest, which offer a range of low-carbohydrate, high-protein bars, powders, shakes, and snacks. Simply Good Foods aims to support consumers’ health and wellness goals by delivering convenient, nutrient-dense options without added sugars or artificial sweeteners.

Under the Atkins brand, the company produces meal replacements, snack bars, and ready-to-drink shakes designed for low-carb dieters.

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