158,600 Shares in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) Purchased by Raiffeisen Bank International AG

Key Points

• Raiffeisen Bank International AG acquired a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. totaling 158,600 shares, worth approximately $23.4 million, representing 0.16% ownership.
• Several large investors, including Assenagon Asset Management with a significant boost of 1,033.4%, have also increased their holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market, highlighting strong institutional interest.
• Analysts have upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market's stock ratings, with Barclays and Jefferies raising their target prices to $185 and $190, respectively, indicating positive market expectations.

Raiffeisen Bank International AG acquired a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 158,600 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,434,000. Raiffeisen Bank International AG owned 0.16% of Sprouts Farmers Market as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 1,952 shares of the company's stock valued at $298,000 after buying an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG bought a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the 1st quarter worth approximately $711,000. Banco Santander S.A. lifted its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 23.5% in the 1st quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 7,954 shares of the company's stock worth $1,214,000 after purchasing an additional 1,512 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 38.2% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 11,147 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,701,000 after purchasing an additional 3,084 shares during the period. Finally, Blueshift Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 1st quarter valued at $570,000.

Insider Activity at Sprouts Farmers Market

In related news, Director Douglas Gregory Rauch sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.16, for a total transaction of $167,160.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,598 shares in the company, valued at $1,437,241.68. The trade was a 10.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Timmi Zalatoris sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 13,263 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,180,171.94. This trade represents a 13.10% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 65,743 shares of company stock valued at $10,769,633 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on SFM shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $175.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $173.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $171.87.

Sprouts Farmers Market Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:SFM traded down $1.77 on Tuesday, reaching $152.04. 307,569 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,740,207. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.42 and a 52 week high of $182.00. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $163.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $158.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.78.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last announced 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 net margin of 5.77% and a return on equity of 36.53%. The business had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.94 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.