Vanguard Group Inc. Has $1.59 Billion Stake in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 1.9%, now owning approximately 10.63% of the company with a value of $1.59 billion after selling over 200,000 shares.
• Several institutional investors increased their holdings, with Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raising its stake by a remarkable 1,033.4% in the first quarter.
• Sprouts Farmers Market recently reported earnings of $1.35 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations and marking a 17.3% increase in quarterly revenue year-over-year.

Vanguard Group Inc. lessened its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 1.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,404,556 shares of the company's stock after selling 200,263 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 10.63% of Sprouts Farmers Market worth $1,588,151,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 last quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 115.4% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 265 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 111.3% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 319 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank acquired a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 4th quarter worth $63,000.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, Director Joseph D. O'leary sold 2,937 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.07, for a total value of $440,755.59. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 14,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,250,149.58. This trade represents a 16.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 4,045 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.76, for a total transaction of $634,094.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 174,740 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,392,242.40. The trade was a 2.26% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 67,225 shares of company stock worth $10,950,283. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SFM traded down $1.65 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $146.18. 2,946,440 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,743,861. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $160.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $158.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.29 billion, a PE ratio of 30.08, 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 $95.25 and a 12 month high of $182.00.

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 (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.16 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.94 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on SFM. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $173.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the company from $175.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Barclays upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the company from $173.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $172.20.

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.