World Investment Advisors Invests $527,000 in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

World Investment Advisors bought a new stake 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 Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 3,455 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $527,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in SFM. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 481.5% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,855 shares of the company's stock valued at $363,000 after buying an additional 2,364 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 30.4% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,074 shares of the company's stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 4th quarter worth about $6,168,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 4th quarter worth about $19,926,000. Finally, Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 4th quarter worth about $209,000.

Insider Activity at Sprouts Farmers Market

In related news, Director Terri F. Graham sold 1,278 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $230,040.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 32,910 shares in the company, valued at $5,923,800. The trade was a 3.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Timmi Zalatoris sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.38, for a total value of $328,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 13,263 shares in the company, valued at $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 74,035 shares of company stock worth $12,213,719 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $195.00 to $196.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $160.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen raised Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Roth Capital set a $155.00 target price on Sprouts Farmers Market and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Sprouts Farmers Market currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $167.79.

Sprouts Farmers Market Trading Up 0.6%

SFM stock traded up $0.98 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $159.70. 832,242 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,569,792. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $155.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.63 billion, a PE ratio of 35.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.77. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 1-year low of $81.41 and a 1-year high of $182.00.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.27. Sprouts Farmers Market had a return on equity of 34.20% and a net margin of 5.53%. The business had revenue of $2.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.20 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict 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.