Empowered Funds LLC Has $8.40 Million Position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. $SFM

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its Sprouts Farmers Market stake by 12,554% in the first quarter, owning 108,951 shares valued at approximately $8.4 million. Other major institutions, including Vanguard, State Street and Morgan Stanley, also increased their holdings.
• Sprouts slightly beat quarterly expectations, reporting $1.37 EPS and $2.33 billion in revenue, with sales up 4.7% year over year. However, softer comparable sales and margin pressure led analysts to lower some near-term earnings estimates.
• Insiders sold 55,692 shares worth about $4.8 million during the last quarter. Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with an overall “Hold” rating and an average price target of $91.58 versus the stock’s reported opening price of $82.50.

Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 12,554.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 108,951 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 108,090 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.12% of Sprouts Farmers Market worth $8,403,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,913,415 shares of the company's stock valued at $789,802,000 after purchasing an additional 28,951 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,115,029 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,174,000 after buying an additional 71,905 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 137.0% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,584,923 shares of the company's stock worth $425,582,000 after acquiring an additional 1,494,014 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 51.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,098,249 shares of the company's stock valued at $167,168,000 after acquiring an additional 708,529 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Sprouts Farmers Market during the fourth quarter valued at about $161,398,000.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 10,790 shares of Sprouts Farmers Market stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.04, for a total transaction of $885,211.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 269,980 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,149,159.20. This trade represents a 3.84% 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 this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Nicholas Konat sold 12,538 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.90, for a total transaction of $1,102,090.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 66,119 shares in the company, valued at $5,811,860.10. This represents a 15.94% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 55,692 shares of company stock valued at $4,776,971 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Sprouts Farmers Market

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings estimates improved. Zacks Research raised its FY2027 EPS estimate to $5.80 from $5.73 and its FY2028 forecast to $6.32 from $6.11. Estimates for several future quarters also increased, suggesting analysts continue to see value in Sprouts’ store expansion and growth strategy. MarketBeat SFM estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating results modestly exceeded expectations. Sprouts reported quarterly EPS of $1.37 versus the $1.35 consensus, while revenue of $2.33 billion topped the $2.32 billion estimate and increased 4.7% year over year. New-store openings and digital sales growth remain important growth drivers. SFM Q2 Results Show Store Growth Strength but Margin Pressure Builds
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is viewed as reasonable, but execution is increasingly important. Analysts say SFM’s valuation may reflect much of its growth potential, leaving the shares dependent on continued store productivity, digital momentum and successful expansion. The stock had gained 12.2% over the past month, increasing the market’s expectations. Is SFM Stock a Buy Now as Valuation Meets Slower Comparable Sales?
• Negative Sentiment: Soft comparable sales and margin pressure are the main overhangs. Zacks lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $1.23 from $1.32 and trimmed its FY2026 forecast to $5.55 from $5.57. The weaker near-term outlook suggests costs, promotions or product mix could offset sales gains, making the second half of the year a key test for SFM. SFM Jumps 12.2% in a Month as Growth Drivers Face a Tough Margin Test

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of SFM opened at $82.50 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $82.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $78.69. The stock has a market cap of $7.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.68. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 12 month low of $64.75 and a 12 month high of $152.25.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.02. Sprouts Farmers Market had a return on equity of 34.84% and a net margin of 5.58%.The company had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.32 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.35 EPS. The company's revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sprouts Farmers Market has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.240 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.320-5.400 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 5.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on SFM shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $84.00 price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $114.00 price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. UBS Group raised their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $80.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $80.00 to $103.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $91.58.

Sprouts Farmers Market Profile

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.

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