Driehaus Capital Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Driehaus Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 942,785 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 46,258 shares during the period. Sprouts Farmers Market makes up 1.0% of Driehaus Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Driehaus Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.94% of Sprouts Farmers Market worth $119,800,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 93.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. GeoWealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 115.4% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 265 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 84.1% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 289 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the fourth quarter valued at $51,000.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Up 2.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ SFM traded up $3.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $161.59. 1,719,771 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,430,445. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $153.36 and a 200 day moving average of $148.23. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 1 year low of $74.15 and a 1 year high of $178.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market cap of $15.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $2.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.20 billion. Sprouts Farmers Market had a net margin of 4.93% and a return on equity of 29.86%. The company's revenue was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.12 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 49,898 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.42, for a total value of $6,856,983.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 189,449 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,034,081.58. This trade represents a 20.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Nicholas Konat sold 11,283 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.13, for a total transaction of $1,614,935.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 55,675 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,968,762.75. The trade was a 16.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 104,141 shares of company stock valued at $14,851,836 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on SFM shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Sprouts Farmers Market from $131.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $160.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Roth Capital set a $155.00 target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $119.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $167.79.

About Sprouts Farmers Market

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.