The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) Stake Lessened by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC decreased its holdings in shares of The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) by 0.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 101,948 shares of the company’s stock after selling 905 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC owned 0.10% of J. M. Smucker worth $11,341,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its stake in J. M. Smucker by 188.8% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of J. M. Smucker during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Kieckhefer Group LLC purchased a new position in J. M. Smucker during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in J. M. Smucker in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Sandy Spring Bank lifted its position in J. M. Smucker by 1,365.5% in the 4th quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 425 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 396 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

J. M. Smucker Stock Down 0.5 %

SJM opened at $114.55 on Friday. The J. M. Smucker Company has a twelve month low of $98.77 and a twelve month high of $125.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.58. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $110.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $111.94. The firm has a market cap of $12.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.35.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. J. M. Smucker had a net margin of 5.96% and a return on equity of 14.35%. The business had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.23 billion. Research analysts forecast that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.88 EPS for the current year.

J. M. Smucker Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at J. M. Smucker

In related news, CFO Tucker H. Marshall sold 5,028 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.36, for a total value of $569,974.08. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 13,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,503,493.68. This trade represents a 27.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jill R. Penrose sold 5,117 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.26, for a total value of $594,902.42. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 8,794 shares in the company, valued at $1,022,390.44. This represents a 36.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SJM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays lowered their price target 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. StockNews.com upgraded J. M. Smucker from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 28th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on J. M. Smucker in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $123.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson lowered their price target on J. M. Smucker from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on J. M. Smucker from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, J. M. Smucker has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.