J. M. Smucker Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:SJM)

The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock traders purchased 5,189 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 241% compared to the average volume of 1,523 put options.

J. M. Smucker Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of SJM stock traded up $1.72 on Monday, reaching $126.04. 278,773 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,809,646. The company has a market cap of $13.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -96.79, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a 50-day moving average of $116.11 and a 200-day moving average of $107.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.33. J. M. Smucker has a one year low of $88.25 and a one year high of $127.64.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 9th. The company reported $2.77 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.64 by $0.13. J. M. Smucker had a positive return on equity of 17.18% and a negative net margin of 1.53%.The business had revenue of $2.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.26 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.31 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. J. M. Smucker has set its FY 2027 guidance at 9.750-10.250 EPS. Analysts anticipate that J. M. Smucker will post 9.98 earnings per share for the current year.

J. M. Smucker Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. This is a boost from J. M. Smucker’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. J. M. Smucker’s payout ratio is -344.62%.

Insider Activity at J. M. Smucker

In other J. M. Smucker news, insider Jeannette L. Knudsen sold 5,550 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.29, for a total transaction of $645,409.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 16,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,865,175.31. This trade represents a 25.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jill R. Penrose sold 5,000 shares of J. M. Smucker stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.69, for a total value of $583,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 15,795 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,843,118.55. This trade represents a 24.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 18,533 shares of company stock worth $2,132,914 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J. M. Smucker

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in J. M. Smucker by 10.0% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,440 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,286,000 after purchasing an additional 1,763 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker in the first quarter valued at $253,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 28.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 12,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after buying an additional 2,889 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 8,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,065,000 after buying an additional 2,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of J. M. Smucker by 6.7% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,209 shares of the company’s stock worth $217,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SJM has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on J. M. Smucker from $106.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. UBS Group boosted their price target on J. M. Smucker from $130.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on J. M. Smucker from $129.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of J. M. Smucker from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.53.

J. M. Smucker Company Profile

The J. M. Smucker Company is a diversified food and beverage manufacturer and marketer known for a portfolio of well-established consumer brands. The company’s main business activities include the production and distribution of fruit spreads, peanut butter, coffee and coffee filters, as well as pet food and pet snacks. Smucker’s core product lines serve both retail and foodservice customers through grocery chains, mass merchandisers, club stores, convenience outlets and e-commerce channels.

Among its leading brands are Smucker’s® fruit spreads, Jif® peanut butter, Folgers® and Dunkin’® coffees, and Café Bustelo® coffee.