Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Purchases 86,526 Shares of Chewy $CHWY

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group boosted its Chewy stake by 550.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 86,526 additional shares to bring its total to 102,249 shares worth about $3.38 million.
• Institutional ownership in Chewy remains very high at 93.09%, with several other funds also increasing their positions recently, including Vanguard and Federated Hermes.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on Chewy despite recent target cuts, with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $42.14, even as the stock recently missed earnings expectations.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Chewy (NYSE:CHWY - Free Report) by 550.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 102,249 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 86,526 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Chewy were worth $3,379,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Winslow Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Chewy in the third quarter valued at approximately $6,171,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Chewy by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,920,347 shares of the company's stock valued at $658,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,017,214 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd lifted its position in Chewy by 110.6% in the third quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 239,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,700,000 after purchasing an additional 125,943 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in Chewy by 2,715.2% in the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 664,079 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,862,000 after purchasing an additional 640,490 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Chewy by 218.6% in the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 173,300 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,010,000 after purchasing an additional 118,903 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.09% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Sumit Singh sold 4,220 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.60, for a total value of $108,032.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 123,955 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,173,248. This represents a 3.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, General Counsel Da-Wai Hu sold 8,149 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.91, for a total value of $219,289.59. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 95,675 shares of company stock worth $2,459,955. Insiders own 0.43% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CHWY has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Chewy from $46.00 to $40.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Chewy in a report on Monday, April 27th. Barclays decreased their target price on Chewy from $48.00 to $40.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup decreased their target price on Chewy from $40.00 to $37.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Chewy in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.14.

Chewy News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Chewy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary highlighted Chewy’s strong Autoship business, AI initiatives, and veterinary expansion, which could support longer-term growth. Chewy vs. Petco: Which Pet-Care Stock Looks Better Positioned?
• Positive Sentiment: Chewy’s debt-free balance sheet, record free cash flow, and rising liquidity were cited as giving the company flexibility to fund growth investments and share buybacks. Chewy's Capital Strength Provides Flexibility for Growth Investments
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts remain broadly constructive on Chewy, with coverage suggesting the stock still has meaningful upside from current levels. Is Chewy (CHWY) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: Chewy outperformed the broader market in the latest session, but the move appeared tied more to general trading momentum and analyst sentiment than to a new company-specific catalyst. Chewy (CHWY) Beats Stock Market Upswing: What Investors Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley said Chewy may need to lower the high end of its full-year sales guidance because of weakening pet industry trends, which is the main bearish takeaway for investors today. Chewy Likely to Lower High End of Sales Guidance Amid Weakening Pet Industry Trends, Morgan Stanley Says
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley also trimmed its price target on Chewy from $49 to $43, signaling slightly less confidence in near-term upside even while keeping an overweight rating. Morgan Stanley price target cut

Chewy Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of CHWY stock opened at $21.28 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $8.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.92, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.50. The business's fifty day moving average is $24.66 and its 200 day moving average is $28.59. Chewy has a twelve month low of $19.30 and a twelve month high of $48.62.

Chewy (NYSE:CHWY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 25th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.19). Chewy had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 1.77%.The company had revenue of $3.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.26 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.28 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Chewy will post 0.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Chewy

Chewy, Inc NYSE: CHWY is a leading e-commerce retailer specializing in pet food, supplies and services. The company offers a comprehensive assortment of products for dogs, cats, fish, birds and other small animals, including prescription medications, veterinary health products, grooming essentials and toys. Through its online platform and mobile app, Chewy provides an intuitive shopping experience with features such as Autoship, ensuring regular deliveries of pet essentials at schedule intervals.

Founded in 2011 by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day, Chewy initially operated under the name Mr.

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