KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Invests $4.19 Million in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 38,023 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,187,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AXQ Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,088,000. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in J. M. Smucker by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 107,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,835,000 after buying an additional 5,387 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,261,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,502,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of J. M. Smucker during the 4th quarter valued at $59,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

J. M. Smucker Price Performance

Shares of J. M. Smucker stock opened at $114.46 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $107.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $112.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.17, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.28. The J. M. Smucker Company has a 1-year low of $98.77 and a 1-year high of $127.15.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The company reported $2.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. J. M. Smucker had a net margin of 5.96% and a return on equity of 14.35%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.88 earnings per share for the current year.

J. M. Smucker Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a $1.08 dividend. This represents a $4.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. J. M. Smucker’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -179.25%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other J. M. Smucker news, CFO Tucker H. Marshall sold 5,028 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.36, for a total value of $569,974.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 13,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,503,493.68. This represents a 27.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on SJM shares. StockNews.com lowered J. M. Smucker from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on J. M. Smucker from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on J. M. Smucker in a research note on Monday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $123.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson cut their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of J. M. Smucker from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $125.67.

J. M. Smucker 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.