Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Simply Good Foods Call Options (NASDAQ:SMPL)

The Simply Good Foods Company (NASDAQ:SMPL) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders bought 2,115 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 717% compared to the average daily volume of 259 call options.

Key Stories Impacting Simply Good Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting Simply Good Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: SMPL posted adjusted EPS of $0.42, ahead of the $0.35 consensus, and revenue of $357.0 million versus $333.0 million expected, which supports the shares. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to about $1.345 billion-$1.355 billion, slightly above the market’s prior expectations, signaling management sees some improvement ahead. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Simply Good Foods said it is making initial progress on turnaround priorities, with cost controls and buybacks helping near-term sentiment, though the long-term strategy still needs proof. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the beat, net sales fell 6.3% year over year and adjusted EBITDA dropped sharply, underscoring ongoing operating pressure. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s outlook calls for full-year sales to decline roughly 7% to 6% and gross margin to contract, while analysts are also flagging brand relevance and distribution issues for Atkins, OWYN and Quest. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage has also highlighted category headwinds, including the impact of GLP-1 adoption on demand, which could keep investors cautious despite the earnings beat. Article title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on SMPL. Zacks Research upgraded Simply Good Foods from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Simply Good Foods from $24.00 to $14.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Simply Good Foods from $16.00 to $13.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 10th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Simply Good Foods in a report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Simply Good Foods from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $17.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Simply Good Foods

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its holdings in Simply Good Foods by 0.4% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 88,477 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,795,000 after purchasing an additional 383 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Simply Good Foods by 125.4% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 967 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 538 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Simply Good Foods by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 19,018 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $656,000 after buying an additional 617 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Simply Good Foods by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 18,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 701 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its position in shares of Simply Good Foods by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 23,120 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $730,000 after buying an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.45% of the company’s stock.

Simply Good Foods Stock Performance

NASDAQ SMPL traded up $0.48 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $13.32. 2,385,317 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,533,167. The company has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.15 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.87 and a current ratio of 5.06. The business’s 50 day moving average is $12.31 and its 200-day moving average is $15.11. Simply Good Foods has a 1 year low of $10.21 and a 1 year high of $34.19.

Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ:SMPL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $356.98 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $332.99 million. Simply Good Foods had a negative net margin of 7.46% and a positive return on equity of 9.72%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Simply Good Foods will post 1.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Simply Good Foods

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.