80,171 Shares in Smithfield Foods, Inc. $SFD Acquired by MASO CAPITAL PARTNERS Ltd

MASO CAPITAL PARTNERS Ltd bought a new position in Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFD) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 80,171 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,882,000. Smithfield Foods makes up approximately 3.0% of MASO CAPITAL PARTNERS Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Strs Ohio grew its position in shares of Smithfield Foods by 76.5% during the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 1,080 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 468 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Smithfield Foods by 88.2% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 515 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Smithfield Foods in the second quarter worth $29,000. Parallel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Smithfield Foods in the third quarter worth $37,000. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in Smithfield Foods by 76.1% in the third quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 4,150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 1,793 shares in the last quarter.

Smithfield Foods Trading Up 1.2%

NASDAQ SFD opened at $23.69 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $9.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.67, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.12. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $23.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.03. Smithfield Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $18.55 and a 12-month high of $26.07.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on SFD. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Smithfield Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Smithfield Foods in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Smithfield Foods has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $28.90.

Smithfield Foods Profile

Smithfield Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: SFD) is one of the world’s largest pork processors and hog producers. Founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, the company has grown from a regional ham producer into a fully integrated food company offering a broad range of fresh pork, value-added meats and prepared foods. Its product portfolio includes bacon, ham, sausage, ribs and deli meats marketed under well-known brands such as Smithfield®, Nathan’s Famous® and Eckrich®.

Smithfield operates a network of hog production facilities, processing plants and distribution centers across the United States, Europe and Latin America.