Vanguard Group Inc. Purchases 71,116 Shares of SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL)

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL - Free Report) TSE: SOY by 3.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,207,838 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 71,116 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 1.85% of SunOpta worth $17,002,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hodges Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of SunOpta by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,646,861 shares of the company's stock worth $28,081,000 after buying an additional 42,232 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in SunOpta by 80.9% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,127,890 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,579,000 after acquiring an additional 951,462 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in SunOpta by 18.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,827,273 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,658,000 after purchasing an additional 290,372 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of SunOpta by 65.6% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,761,922 shares of the company's stock worth $13,567,000 after purchasing an additional 698,004 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royce & Associates LP raised its stake in shares of SunOpta by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,731,276 shares of the company's stock worth $13,331,000 after purchasing an additional 192,780 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.39% of the company's stock.

SunOpta Stock Performance

STKL stock traded up $0.38 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $4.09. The stock had a trading volume of 1,047,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 758,780. The firm has a market cap of $489.80 million, a PE ratio of -22.72 and a beta of 1.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The stock's 50 day moving average is $5.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.57. SunOpta Inc. has a 52 week low of $3.65 and a 52 week high of $8.11.

SunOpta (NASDAQ:STKL - Get Free Report) TSE: SOY last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.06. The firm had revenue of $193.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $189.90 million. SunOpta had a negative net margin of 2.74% and a positive return on equity of 7.92%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that SunOpta Inc. will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at SunOpta

In related news, SVP Bryan P. Clark sold 8,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.32, for a total value of $45,220.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,150 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $149,758. This trade represents a 23.19 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 6.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on STKL shares. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $10.00 price objective on shares of SunOpta in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of SunOpta from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th.

About SunOpta

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.