The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $77.6667.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Chefs’ Warehouse from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $74.00 target price on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Chefs’ Warehouse from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Chefs’ Warehouse from $80.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th.

Chefs’ Warehouse Stock Performance

NASDAQ CHEF opened at $71.39 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $64.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.37. The company has a market cap of $2.90 billion, a PE ratio of 43.27 and a beta of 1.26. Chefs’ Warehouse has a 1-year low of $45.00 and a 1-year high of $73.94.

Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.06. Chefs’ Warehouse had a return on equity of 14.75% and a net margin of 1.74%.The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.55 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Chefs’ Warehouse will post 1.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Tim Mccauley sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total transaction of $525,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 44,662 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,126,340. This trade represents a 14.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 11.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chefs’ Warehouse

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse by 229.5% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 458 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 319 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in Chefs’ Warehouse by 515.3% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 523 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 438 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Chefs’ Warehouse during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in Chefs’ Warehouse in the second quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Chefs’ Warehouse in the third quarter valued at $39,000. 91.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chefs’ Warehouse Company Profile

Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc is a specialty food distributor that supplies a broad range of high‐end ingredients and culinary products to professional chefs, restaurants, hotels, and other foodservice operators. Headquartered in Maspeth, New York, the company sources its portfolio from local artisans, boutique producers and leading global suppliers. Its core offerings include fresh and frozen proteins, specialty cuts of meat and seafood, handcrafted cheeses and charcuterie, seasonal produce, value‐added preparations, pantry staples and premium desserts and beverages.

The company operates a network of distribution centers strategically located in major metropolitan markets across North America.