Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Invests $888,000 in The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 8,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $888,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of J. M. Smucker in the third quarter worth $207,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of J. M. Smucker by 381.3% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 9,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,119,000 after purchasing an additional 7,318 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of J. M. Smucker by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 15,520 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,879,000 after purchasing an additional 1,724 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank increased its position in shares of J. M. Smucker by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 315,865 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,251,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MAI Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 14.8% in the third quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 15,827 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,917,000 after buying an additional 2,046 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

J. M. Smucker Stock Performance

NYSE:SJM opened at $109.27 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $106.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $112.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.12, a P/E/G ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.28. The J. M. Smucker Company has a 12-month low of $98.77 and a 12-month high of $127.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The company reported $2.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J. M. Smucker Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were paid a $1.08 dividend. This represents a $4.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. J. M. Smucker’s payout ratio is currently -179.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling at J. M. Smucker

In related news, CFO Tucker H. Marshall sold 5,028 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.36, for a total value of $569,974.08. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,503,493.68. The trade was 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. Insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on SJM shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of J. M. Smucker from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen cut J. M. Smucker from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $130.00 to $121.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on J. M. Smucker from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on 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. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price objective 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $126.00.

About J. M. Smucker

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.