Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Thursday.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse from $36.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Benchmark reissued a buy rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in a research note on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Chefs’ Warehouse from $35.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th.

Chefs’ Warehouse Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CHEF traded up $0.84 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $37.78. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 371,895 shares, compared to its average volume of 350,811. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Chefs’ Warehouse has a 52 week low of $17.29 and a 52 week high of $39.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $35.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $30.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.50 billion, a PE ratio of 43.43 and a beta of 2.22.

Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $874.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $833.25 million. Chefs’ Warehouse had a return on equity of 12.30% and a net margin of 0.98%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.12 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Chefs’ Warehouse will post 1.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chefs’ Warehouse

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Littlejohn & Co. LLC purchased a new stake in Chefs’ Warehouse during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,632,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse during the 3rd quarter worth about $664,000. Welch & Forbes LLC boosted its stake in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse by 386.6% during the 3rd quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 61,775 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,308,000 after purchasing an additional 49,080 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Chefs’ Warehouse in the 3rd quarter worth about $743,000. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its position in Chefs’ Warehouse by 47.5% in the 3rd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 408,055 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,643,000 after purchasing an additional 131,479 shares during the period. 91.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Chefs’ Warehouse

The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes specialty food and center-of-the-plate products in the United States, the Middle East, and Canada. The company's product portfolio includes specialty food products, such as artisan charcuterie, specialty cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate, and pastry products; and center-of-the-plate products consisting of custom cut beef, seafood, and hormone-free poultry, as well as broadline food products comprising cooking oils, butter, eggs, milk, and flour.