River Road Asset Management LLC Makes New $31.86 Million Investment in The Simply Good Foods Company $SMPL

River Road Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Simply Good Foods Company (NASDAQ:SMPL) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 1,586,490 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $31,857,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Simply Good Foods by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,631,429 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $213,479,000 after buying an additional 249,405 shares during the period. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL grew its holdings in shares of Simply Good Foods by 468.7% during the third quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 208,385 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,172,000 after buying an additional 171,745 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in Simply Good Foods by 230.7% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 690,863 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $13,873,000 after acquiring an additional 481,952 shares during the period. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its position in Simply Good Foods by 2,413.6% in the 4th quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 173,414 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,482,000 after acquiring an additional 166,515 shares during the period. Finally, Connors Investor Services Inc. raised its stake in Simply Good Foods by 211.0% during the 4th quarter. Connors Investor Services Inc. now owns 188,915 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,793,000 after acquiring an additional 128,175 shares during the last quarter. 88.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Simply Good Foods Trading Up 4.0%

Simply Good Foods stock opened at $12.63 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of -10.61 and a beta of 0.17. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $12.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.71. The Simply Good Foods Company has a 52 week low of $10.21 and a 52 week high of $34.19. The company has a current ratio of 5.06, a quick ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ:SMPL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.05. Simply Good Foods had a negative net margin of 7.46% and a positive return on equity of 9.72%. The business had revenue of $326.01 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $345.08 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.46 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that The Simply Good Foods Company will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on SMPL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Simply Good Foods from $16.00 to $13.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Simply Good Foods in a report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Simply Good Foods from $32.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Simply Good Foods from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Simply Good Foods from $20.00 to $13.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Clayton C. Daley, Jr. bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $11.78 per share, for a total transaction of $117,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 111,743 shares in the company, valued at $1,316,332.54. This trade represents a 9.83% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director James M. Kilts purchased 80,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $12.39 per share, with a total value of $991,200.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 172,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,141,661.06. The trade was a 86.16% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 8.76% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Simply Good Foods Profile

Simply Good Foods Co (NASDAQ: SMPL) is a North American consumer packaged foods company specializing in better-for-you nutrition products. The company’s portfolio centers on two well-established brands, Atkins and Quest, which offer a range of low-carbohydrate, high-protein bars, powders, shakes, and snacks. Simply Good Foods aims to support consumers’ health and wellness goals by delivering convenient, nutrient-dense options without added sugars or artificial sweeteners.

Under the Atkins brand, the company produces meal replacements, snack bars, and ready-to-drink shakes designed for low-carb dieters.