Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. Bank of America increased their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Melius Research started coverage on Sprouts Farmers Market in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $105.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $127.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $102.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sprouts Farmers Market has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $118.40.

Sprouts Farmers Market Price Performance

SFM stock opened at $139.25 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $141.53 and a 200-day moving average of $116.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Sprouts Farmers Market has a 12 month low of $48.98 and a 12 month high of $155.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.63.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.14. Sprouts Farmers Market had a return on equity of 28.24% and a net margin of 4.73%. The company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.65 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Sprouts Farmers Market will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 5,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.60, for a total value of $757,676.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 199,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,463,777.60. This trade represents a 2.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Joseph L. Hurley sold 4,956 shares of Sprouts Farmers Market stock in a transaction on Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.66, for a total transaction of $657,462.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 11,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,483,669.44. This trade represents a 30.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 61,869 shares of company stock valued at $8,778,152. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sprouts Farmers Market

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SFM. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 93.5% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the third quarter worth $38,000. Quarry LP raised its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 1,425.8% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 473 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 442 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 80.6% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the period.

Sprouts Farmers Market Company Profile

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the retailing of fresh, natural, and organic food products under the Sprouts brand in the United States. It offers perishable product categories, including fresh produce, meat and meat alternatives, seafood, deli, bakery, floral, and dairy and dairy alternatives; and non-perishable product categories, such as grocery, vitamins and supplements, bulk items, frozen foods, beer and wine, and natural health and body care.