Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 3,831 Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has reduced its stock holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. by 14.6%, now owning 22,407 shares valued at approximately $3.42 million.
• Several large investors, including Assenagon Asset Management and GAMMA Investing, significantly increased their stakes in Sprouts Farmers Market during the first quarter, showcasing strong interest in the company.
• Analysts have varied opinions on Sprouts Farmers Market, with target prices updated upward by Wells Fargo, Barclays, and Jefferies, some setting targets as high as $190, while maintaining an average rating of "Moderate Buy."

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 14.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,407 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,831 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $3,420,000 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. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 92.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 192 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 115.4% in the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 265 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 111.3% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 319 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank bought a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 4th quarter valued at about $63,000.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Performance

SFM stock traded up $0.45 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $151.20. The company had a trading volume of 57,541 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,736,242. The firm has a market cap of $14.78 billion, a PE ratio of 31.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.78. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.15 and a 12 month high of $182.00. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $162.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $158.55.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, insider Timmi Zalatoris sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.38, for a total value of $328,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 13,263 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,180,171.94. This trade represents a 13.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 4,045 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.76, for a total value of $634,094.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 174,740 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,392,242.40. This represents a 2.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 70,725 shares of company stock valued at $11,511,003. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on SFM shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $175.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays raised Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $173.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $173.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $171.87.

Sprouts Farmers Market 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.