Foster & Motley Inc. Decreases Holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Key Points

• Foster & Motley Inc. reduced its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 28.8%, selling 5,191 shares to bring its total ownership down to 12,806 shares, valued at approximately $1.96 million.
• Several hedge funds significantly altered their positions in Sprouts Farmers Market, with Assenagon Asset Management increasing its stake by 1,033.4% to 1,476,351 shares, worth around $225.35 million.
• Analyst ratings have shifted, with Wall Street Zen upgrading Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" to a "buy," while Wells Fargo raised its price target from $170 to $175, reflecting growing investor interest.

Foster & Motley Inc. reduced its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 28.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,806 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,191 shares during the quarter. Foster & Motley Inc.'s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $1,955,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 4,464,644 shares of the company's stock valued at $567,322,000 after purchasing an additional 24,000 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,843,320 shares of the company's stock valued at $234,231,000 after purchasing an additional 168,605 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 22.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,582,896 shares of the company's stock valued at $201,139,000 after purchasing an additional 294,553 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 1,033.4% in the 1st quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,476,351 shares of the company's stock valued at $225,350,000 after purchasing an additional 1,346,097 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 13.5% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,355,147 shares of the company's stock valued at $172,199,000 after purchasing an additional 160,882 shares during the period.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $173.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Sprouts Farmers Market from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Roth Capital set a $155.00 price target on Sprouts Farmers Market and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $171.53.

Sprouts Farmers Market Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SFM traded up $2.54 on Friday, hitting $154.08. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,044,686 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,362,586. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $163.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $158.31. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 1 year low of $91.36 and a 1 year high of $182.00. The company has a market capitalization of $15.06 billion, a PE ratio of 31.70, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.78.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.12. Sprouts Farmers Market had a return on equity of 36.53% and a net margin of 5.77%. The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.94 EPS. The company's revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, Director Terri F. Graham sold 1,278 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $230,040.00. Following the sale, the director owned 32,910 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,923,800. This trade represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Douglas Gregory Rauch sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.16, for a total value of $167,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,598 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,437,241.68. The trade was a 10.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 65,743 shares of company stock worth $10,769,633. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Sprouts Farmers Market Company Profile

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.