Insider Buying: Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) Director Acquires $698,400.00 in Stock

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:GO) Director Jeffrey York purchased 120,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $5.82 per share, with a total value of $698,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 120,000 shares in the company, valued at $698,400. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Grocery Outlet Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:GO traded down $0.12 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $6.20. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,551,366 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,158,689. The company has a market capitalization of $608.53 million, a PE ratio of 9.16, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.50. Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $5.66 and a fifty-two week high of $19.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 1.37. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $9.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.37.

Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. Grocery Outlet had a negative net margin of 4.80% and a positive return on equity of 5.93%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.15 earnings per share. Grocery Outlet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.450-0.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. will post 0.63 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Grocery Outlet

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd boosted its position in shares of Grocery Outlet by 1,030.4% in the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 2,532 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,308 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Grocery Outlet in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Grocery Outlet by 591.5% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,739 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Grocery Outlet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Grocery Outlet by 32.3% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 719 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.87% of the company’s stock.

Grocery Outlet News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Grocery Outlet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director insider buy — Director John Bachman purchased 16,000 shares (~$103k) at roughly $6.46, increasing his stake by ~28%; an insider buy can signal management confidence. Director Acquires $103,360.00 in Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Some favorable coverage of the Q4 results and renewed market interest has attracted short‑term buyers and liquidity, providing a modest offset to negative headlines. Q4 earnings outperformers
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership — Institutions hold the vast majority of shares, which supports liquidity but means large rebalances can magnify moves; this is a structural market factor rather than an immediate catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Law‑firm investigations announced — The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz and Levi & Korsinsky have opened inquiries into possible securities‑law violations tied to prior guidance/communications, increasing litigation risk and investor uncertainty. Securities Fraud Investigation (Frank R. Cruz) Possible Fraud – Levi & Korsinsky
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — CEO Jason Potter sold ~67k shares (~$394k) and multiple EVPs sold material positions the same day; concentrated insider sales often weigh on sentiment and can signal liquidity needs or confidence concerns. Insider Selling Filings
• Negative Sentiment: Operational setback — Company will close four Northeast Ohio stores citing “millions in losses,” highlighting regional underperformance and potential margin pressure. Store Closures
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings and guidance headwinds — Q4 results missed consensus slightly (EPS and revenue), and management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $0.45–$0.55 (below some analysts’ expectations), underscoring margin stress and limiting near‑term upside. Company Earnings & Guidance Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and negative consensus — Several firms trimmed ratings/targets and MarketBeat shows a “Reduce” consensus, which can amplify selling pressure and reduce confidence among retail/institutional holders. Analyst Scrutiny on Consumer Trends

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on GO shares. DA Davidson set a $8.00 price objective on Grocery Outlet in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group downgraded Grocery Outlet from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $15.00 to $9.00 in a report on Thursday, March 5th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Grocery Outlet from $10.50 to $7.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Grocery Outlet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $10.68.

Grocery Outlet Company Profile

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: GO) is a specialty discount retailer that offers consumers deeply discounted groceries by purchasing excess inventory, closeouts, and overstocks from manufacturers and distributors. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, the company operates two primary banners—Grocery Outlet and Fresh2Go—with a combined footprint of more than 400 stores. Its product assortment spans fresh produce, meat, dairy, bakery items, household staples, natural and organic offerings, and select specialty products, all sold at significant markdowns compared to conventional supermarkets.

The company’s unique buying model enables it to source inventory through opportunistic purchases of surplus freight, discontinued items, and closeout deals, which it then passes on as savings to its customers.