The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) Shares Acquired by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. boosted its holdings in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,149 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,041 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in J. M. Smucker were worth $1,338,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its position in shares of J. M. Smucker by 188.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in J. M. Smucker by 1,329.4% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new position in J. M. Smucker during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Kieckhefer Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

J. M. Smucker Price Performance

NYSE SJM opened at $117.29 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.48 billion, a PE ratio of 23.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $106.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The J. M. Smucker Company has a 12-month low of $98.77 and a 12-month high of $127.59.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The company reported $2.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.24. J. M. Smucker had a return on equity of 14.35% and a net margin of 5.96%. The business had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J. M. Smucker Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a dividend of $1.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $4.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.68%. J. M. Smucker’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -179.25%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Tucker H. Marshall sold 994 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.00, for a total value of $112,322.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 18,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,116,942. This represents a 5.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 3.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded J. M. Smucker from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. TD Cowen lowered shares of J. M. Smucker from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $130.00 to $121.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of J. M. Smucker from $123.00 to $119.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on J. M. Smucker from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $126.13.

J. M. Smucker Company Profile

The J. M. Smucker Company manufactures and markets branded food and beverage products worldwide. It operates in three segments: U.S. Retail Pet Foods, U.S. Retail Coffee, and U.S. Retail Consumer Foods. The company offers mainstream roast, ground, single serve, and premium coffee; peanut butter and specialty spreads; fruit spreads, toppings, and syrups; jelly products; nut mix products; shortening and oils; frozen sandwiches and snacks; pet food and pet snacks; and foodservice hot beverage, foodservice portion control, and flour products, as well as dog and cat food, frozen handheld products, juices and beverages, and baking mixes and ingredients.