North Star Asset Management Inc. Takes Position in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM)

North Star Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 1,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $215,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SJM. Valley National Advisers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 2,266.7% during the 4th quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its position in J. M. Smucker by 77.1% in the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 409 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new position in J. M. Smucker during the fourth quarter valued at $59,000. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group lifted its position in J. M. Smucker by 23.2% during the third quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of J. M. Smucker by 171.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 535 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 338 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at J. M. Smucker

In related news, insider Jeannette L. Knudsen sold 3,200 shares of J. M. Smucker stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.77, for a total transaction of $399,264.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 8,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,116,192.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.50% of the company’s stock.

J. M. Smucker Stock Up 2.4 %

Shares of NYSE:SJM opened at $117.46 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $120.83 and its 200 day moving average is $120.66. The stock has a market cap of $12.47 billion, a P/E ratio of -133.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.21. The J. M. Smucker Company has a 52-week low of $107.33 and a 52-week high of $159.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $2.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $2.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.22 billion. J. M. Smucker had a positive return on equity of 14.29% and a negative net margin of 1.24%. The business’s revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.21 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.6 EPS for the current year.

J. M. Smucker Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 16th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.61%. J. M. Smucker’s dividend payout ratio is currently -481.81%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on SJM. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of J. M. Smucker from $150.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Citigroup dropped their target price on J. M. Smucker from $153.00 to $152.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. DA Davidson initiated coverage on J. M. Smucker in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $132.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $126.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, J. M. Smucker has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $137.47.

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.