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Heartland Advisors, an investment management company, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter for “Heartland Value Fund”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. At the beginning of the year, small caps outperformed large caps by a wide margin; however, increasing geopolitical risks in March led investors to favor larger-cap companies perceived as safer. The firm is optimistic about the long-term prospects ahead for small value stocks. The Fund appreciated 7.35% in the first quarter compared with the 4.96% return for the Russell 2000® Value Index. Stock selection contributed to the Fund’s outperformance in the quarter and across the past one, three, and five years. In addition, you can check the Fund’s top 5 holdings to determine its best picks for 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Heartland Value Fund highlighted SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL). SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) is a multinational food company that engages in the manufacture and sale of plant and fruit-based food and beverage products. On April 15, 2026, SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) closed at $6.50 per share. One-month return of SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) was 0.78%, and its shares gained 66.67% over the past 52 weeks. SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) has a market capitalization of $769.42 million.
Heartland Value Fund stated the following regarding SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Another holding that was taken out in Q1 was SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL). Late last year, we added to our exposure to this leading plant-based milk producer after a few key customers accelerated their supply decisions, forcing management to reset earnings expectations, which sent the shares plummeting. We thought the market overreacted and were encouraged by strong insider buying. This patience paid off, and the stock was one of the contributors to our performance at the start of the year.
These are just two examples of how our 10 Principles have served us and our clients well for more than four decades. We’re confident that its focus on fundamental factors such as low valuations, high-quality balance sheets, and positive earnings dynamics will continue to set us up for success in the current market and beyond.”
SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 25 hedge fund portfolios held SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) at the end of the fourth quarter, compared to 30 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.