Sweetgreen Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:SG)

Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors acquired 40,925 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 468% compared to the average daily volume of 7,199 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on Sweetgreen from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Sweetgreen in a research note on Monday, March 9th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Sweetgreen from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Sweetgreen in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of Sweetgreen in a report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $5.50 price objective on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $7.84.

Sweetgreen Trading Down 0.1%

Sweetgreen stock traded down $0.01 during trading on Thursday, reaching $5.40. The company had a trading volume of 2,972,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,291,327. The firm has a market capitalization of $639.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.74 and a beta of 1.89. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $5.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.65. Sweetgreen has a 52 week low of $4.49 and a 52 week high of $24.47.

Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported ($0.42) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($0.11). Sweetgreen had a negative net margin of 19.73% and a negative return on equity of 32.26%. The company had revenue of $155.19 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $159.59 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.25) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Sweetgreen will post -0.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Nicolas Jammet purchased 4,428 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $5.71 per share, with a total value of $25,283.88. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 22,543 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $128,720.53. This represents a 24.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 19.78% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sweetgreen

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ grew its stake in Sweetgreen by 312.3% during the second quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 2,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 2,127 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sweetgreen by 165.8% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 3,766 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,349 shares during the last quarter. Certuity LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sweetgreen by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 302,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,045,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the last quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Sweetgreen by 18.7% during the fourth quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 2,715 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in shares of Sweetgreen by 26.3% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 14,362 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,000 after purchasing an additional 2,987 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.75% of the company’s stock.

Sweetgreen Company Profile

Sweetgreen, Inc is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in salads, grain bowls and warm bowls that emphasize fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Since its founding in 2007 by Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru, Sweetgreen has focused on sustainable agriculture, working with regional farmers across the United States to provide seasonal produce and promote environmentally responsible sourcing practices. The company’s menu features a variety of plant-forward options, including custom-build salads, chef-curated bowls and limited-time offerings that reflect changing harvests.

Sweetgreen operates a technology-driven service model that combines in-store experiences with digital ordering through its mobile app and website.