First Trust Advisors LP Grows Holdings in The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. $CHEF

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors increased its CHEF position by 70.1% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 120,786 shares valued at approximately $7.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 91.55% of the company.
• Chefs’ Warehouse reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $0.78 versus the $0.59 consensus estimate and revenue of $1.17 billion versus expectations of $1.12 billion. Revenue rose 12.9% year over year, supported by volume and margin gains.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with BTIG Research and Benchmark raising their price targets to $125 and the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating. However, company insiders recently sold shares, including CEO Christopher Pappas’ $9.75 million sale.

First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF - Free Report) by 70.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 120,786 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 49,780 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned 0.30% of Chefs' Warehouse worth $7,181,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Chefs' Warehouse by 229.5% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 458 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Chefs' Warehouse by 515.3% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 523 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 438 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Chefs' Warehouse in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in Chefs' Warehouse by 30.7% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 800 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Chefs' Warehouse by 98.7% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 926 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares in the last quarter. 91.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CHEF. BTIG Research lifted their target price on Chefs' Warehouse from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Chefs' Warehouse from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 18th. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of Chefs' Warehouse from $106.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Chefs' Warehouse from $110.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Chefs' Warehouse from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Chefs' Warehouse presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $107.43.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Christopher Pappas sold 125,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.00, for a total value of $9,750,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,189,453 shares in the company, valued at approximately $170,777,334. The trade was a 5.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Christina Polychroni sold 4,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.21, for a total transaction of $356,445.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 24,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,951,892.82. The trade was a 15.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 11.10% of the company's stock.

Chefs' Warehouse Stock Performance

NASDAQ CHEF opened at $115.35 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.71 billion, a PE ratio of 54.93 and a beta of 1.39. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $92.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $75.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. has a 1-year low of $53.20 and a 1-year high of $115.72.

Chefs' Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.12 billion. Chefs' Warehouse had a return on equity of 16.95% and a net margin of 2.09%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. will post 2.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Chefs' Warehouse

Here are the key news stories impacting Chefs' Warehouse this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results: Chefs' Warehouse reported earnings of $0.78 per share, exceeding the $0.59 analyst consensus, while revenue of $1.17 billion topped expectations of $1.12 billion. Revenue increased 12.9% year over year, supported by higher volumes, customer growth and margin expansion. CHEF Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Volume and Margin Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Raised price targets from bullish analysts: Benchmark lifted its target from $106 to $125 and maintained a “buy” rating. BTIG Research also raised its target from $100 to $125 and rated the shares “buy,” indicating continued confidence in the company’s earnings momentum. Chefs' Warehouse Price Target Raised to $125.00 at Benchmark
• Positive Sentiment: Improved outlook: The fiscal 2026 revenue outlook and quarterly earnings beat helped drive the stock to a new 52-week high, signaling that investors view the company’s growth and operating improvements as durable. The Chefs' Warehouse Shares Rise After FY26 Revenue Outlook, 2Q Earnings Beat Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst view: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $97 to $104 but retained an “equal weight” rating. Its target remains below the recent trading level, suggesting the firm sees limited upside after the post-earnings rally. Morgan Stanley Price Target Update

Chefs' Warehouse Company Profile

Chefs' Warehouse, Inc is a specialty food distributor that supplies a broad range of high‐end ingredients and culinary products to professional chefs, restaurants, hotels, and other foodservice operators. Headquartered in Maspeth, New York, the company sources its portfolio from local artisans, boutique producers and leading global suppliers. Its core offerings include fresh and frozen proteins, specialty cuts of meat and seafood, handcrafted cheeses and charcuterie, seasonal produce, value‐added preparations, pantry staples and premium desserts and beverages.

The company operates a network of distribution centers strategically located in major metropolitan markets across North America.

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