Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Acquires 28,160 Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. $SFM

Key Points

• Citizens Financial Group increased its stake in Sprouts by 504.1%, buying 28,160 shares to hold 33,746 shares valued at about $2.69 million.
• Sprouts beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.71 vs. $1.67; revenue $2.33B vs. $2.32B) but issued FY2026 guidance of $5.32–$5.48 and Q2 guidance of $1.32–$1.36, while margins and comps showed pressure that tempered upside.
• Insiders sold 130,156 shares (~$10.6M) over the past 90 days, and analysts are mixed—seven Buys, seven Holds, one Sell—giving a consensus "Hold" rating with a $96.08 target.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lifted its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 504.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 33,746 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 28,160 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI's holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $2,689,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 98.6% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 284 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on SFM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $104.00 to $92.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $111.00 price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $96.08.

Sprouts Farmers Market News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Sprouts Farmers Market this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on EPS and revenue; new stores and ~10% e‑commerce growth lifted sales — investors rewarded the topline beats and execution on expansion channels. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction highlighted by headlines noting strong sales and an upbeat outlook (one note cited a ~15% intraday rally after the results). InsiderMonkey: SFM Jumps 15%
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and coverage pieces point to raised EPS guidance and buyback potential as catalysts that could materially improve shareholder returns if executed. Yahoo: Raised EPS Guidance and Buybacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call transcript and investor presentation are available for details on margins, comps and strategic priorities — useful for modeling and checking management assumptions. Seeking Alpha: Q1 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan nudged its price target up slightly (from $77 to $78) but kept a Neutral rating — a small technical tailwind, but not a bullish analyst re‑rating. Benzinga: JPMorgan PT Change
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2026 EPS guidance (5.32–5.48) and Q2 guidance (1.32–1.36) were at or slightly below consensus; revenue guidance also came in under Street forecasts — this capped upside and prompted some profit‑taking. Yahoo: Q1 Highlights & Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Comparable‑store sales were still soft and gross margins faced pressure in the quarter, which tempers confidence that top‑line gains will rapidly expand profitability. Zacks: Q1 Beats but Margins Pressured

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, SVP Kim Coffin sold 313 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.97, for a total value of $26,282.61. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 23,332 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,959,188.04. This represents a 1.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 3,201 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.97, for a total transaction of $268,787.97. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 269,980 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,670,220.60. This represents a 1.17% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 130,156 shares of company stock valued at $10,600,146 over the last 90 days. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Performance

Shares of SFM stock opened at $81.19 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.61, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $76.36 and a 200 day moving average of $79.70. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 52 week low of $64.75 and a 52 week high of $182.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.04. Sprouts Farmers Market had a net margin of 5.70% and a return on equity of 36.06%. The business had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.81 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sprouts Farmers Market has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.320-5.480 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.320-1.360 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 5.56 earnings per share for the current year.

About Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc NASDAQ: SFM is a specialty grocery retailer focused on fresh, natural and organic foods. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the company operates stores designed to offer an open-market shopping experience, emphasizing quality produce sourced from regional farmers alongside organic pantry staples, dairy, meat and seafood. Sprouts' product assortment also includes bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, a deli and prepared foods, reflecting its commitment to wellness and affordable healthy living.

Founded in 2002 by members of the Boney family, Sprouts began as a single farmers market in Chandler, Arizona.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SFM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.