The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF) Position Lifted by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF - Free Report) by 5.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 192,764 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,142 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.47% of Chefs' Warehouse worth $10,498,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Chefs' Warehouse by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 464,391 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,904,000 after acquiring an additional 9,299 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Chefs' Warehouse during the fourth quarter valued at about $589,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Chefs' Warehouse during the fourth quarter valued at about $11,010,000. Swiss National Bank grew its position in Chefs' Warehouse by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 70,500 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,477,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC grew its position in Chefs' Warehouse by 53.0% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 57,750 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,848,000 after acquiring an additional 19,994 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.55% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Chefs' Warehouse

In related news, CAO Tim Mccauley sold 17,500 shares of Chefs' Warehouse stock in a transaction on Monday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.07, for a total transaction of $1,138,725.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 52,050 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,386,893.50. The trade was a 25.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 11.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Chefs' Warehouse Stock Up 2.1%

Chefs' Warehouse stock traded up $1.36 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $65.76. 41,579 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 432,618. The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. has a 1 year low of $35.59 and a 1 year high of $68.28. The firm has a market cap of $2.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.47 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $63.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $57.88.

Chefs' Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.04. Chefs' Warehouse had a net margin of 1.65% and a return on equity of 13.15%. The firm had revenue of $950.75 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $927.34 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHEF has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Chefs' Warehouse from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Chefs' Warehouse in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Chefs' Warehouse from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 21st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Chefs' Warehouse presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $67.40.

Chefs' Warehouse Company Profile

The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes specialty food and center-of-the-plate products in the United States, the Middle East, and Canada. The company's product portfolio includes specialty food products, such as artisan charcuterie, specialty cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate, and pastry products; and center-of-the-plate products consisting of custom cut beef, seafood, and hormone-free poultry, as well as broadline food products comprising cooking oils, butter, eggs, milk, and flour.