Virtus Advisers LLC Acquires New Position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. $SFM

Key Points

• Virtus Advisers LLC has invested approximately $414,000 in Sprouts Farmers Market, acquiring 2,711 shares in the first quarter of the year.
• Several hedge funds are increasing their stakes in Sprouts Farmers Market, with notable increases including a 92.0% rise in Whipplewood Advisors LLC's position.
• Wall Street analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Sprouts Farmers Market, with price targets ranging from $173.00 to $195.00.

Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 2,711 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $414,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 92.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 192 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Sprouts Farmers Market in the first quarter worth $30,000. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted 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 worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the first quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 12,100.0% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 244 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the period.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other news, Director Joseph D. O'leary sold 2,937 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.07, for a total transaction of $440,755.59. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 14,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,250,149.58. This represents a 16.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Nicholas Konat sold 20,270 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.50, for a total transaction of $3,395,225.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 55,675 shares in the company, valued at $9,325,562.50. The trade was a 26.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 55,589 shares of company stock valued at $8,926,483. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Roth Capital set a $155.00 price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. UBS Group set a $180.00 price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $159.00 price target for the company. 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 research note on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $173.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $173.73.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Up 0.2%

NASDAQ:SFM traded up $0.31 on Wednesday, reaching $144.59. The stock had a trading volume of 1,060,335 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,788,047. The company has a market capitalization of $14.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.78. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 1-year low of $96.05 and a 1-year high of $182.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $157.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.67.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.16 billion. Sprouts Farmers Market had a net margin of 5.77% and a return on equity of 36.53%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.94 earnings per share. Sprouts Farmers Market has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.200-5.320 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 1.120-1.160 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sprouts Farmers Market declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, August 19th that allows the company to repurchase $0.00 in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.