Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) Position Lifted by Nomura Holdings Inc.

Nomura Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 484.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,243 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,979 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $1,683,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of SFM. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Sprouts Farmers Market during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 115.4% in the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 265 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 93.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 84.1% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 289 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the 4th quarter valued at $51,000.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, insider Timmi Zalatoris sold 775 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.42, for a total value of $106,500.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,943 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,190,887.06. This represents a 4.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Joe Fortunato sold 5,000 shares of Sprouts Farmers Market stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.80, for a total value of $724,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 28,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,137,080.80. The trade was a 14.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 126,362 shares of company stock worth $18,430,847. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Performance

NASDAQ SFM traded down $3.34 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $164.68. The company had a trading volume of 1,140,446 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,445,261. The company has a market cap of $16.12 billion, a PE ratio of 43.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.13. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 1-year low of $74.15 and a 1-year high of $178.99. The business has a 50 day moving average of $157.01 and a 200-day moving average of $150.21.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $2.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.20 billion. Sprouts Farmers Market had a return on equity of 29.86% and a net margin of 4.93%. Sprouts Farmers Market's quarterly revenue was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.12 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $163.00 to $190.00 in a research report on Monday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $131.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $174.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Roth Mkm upped their price target on Sprouts Farmers Market from $105.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Sprouts Farmers Market presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $167.79.

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.