Murchinson Ltd. Takes Position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. $SFM

Key Points

• Murchinson Ltd. has acquired 5,000 shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., valued at approximately $763,000, indicating growing institutional interest in the company.
• Sprouts Farmers Market reported a 17.3% increase in revenue year-over-year, with earnings per share at $1.35, surpassing analysts' expectations.
• Several hedge funds have adjusted their holdings in Sprouts, with Clark Capital Management increasing its stake by 32.1% in the last quarter, reflecting confidence in the company's growth prospects.

Murchinson Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 5,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $763,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 12,100.0% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 244 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the period.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Performance

Sprouts Farmers Market stock traded up $3.09 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $137.19. 949,964 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,722,151. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a twelve month low of $100.59 and a twelve month high of $182.00. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $152.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $155.54. The firm has a market cap of $13.41 billion, a PE ratio of 28.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.86.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.16 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.94 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sprouts Farmers Market has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.200-5.320 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 1.120-1.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

Sprouts Farmers Market announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, August 19th that allows the company to repurchase $0.00 in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $175.00 to $180.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. Barclays upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $173.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Sprouts Farmers Market in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $159.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group set a $180.00 price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $173.73.

Insider Activity at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, SVP Kim Coffin sold 651 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.58, for a total transaction of $92,168.58. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 11,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,590,651.30. This trade represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Dustin Hamilton sold 346 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.15, for a total value of $48,491.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 23,549 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,300,392.35. This represents a 1.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 36,168 shares of company stock worth $5,544,685 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

About Sprouts Farmers Market

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.