XTX Topco Ltd Increases Position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Key Points

• XTX Topco Ltd significantly increased its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. by 687.2%, owning 18,073 shares valued at approximately $2.76 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Major institutional holding changes include Whipplewood Advisors LLC increasing its position by 92% and Dogwood Wealth Management LLC acquiring a new stake valued at $30,000 in the first quarter.
• Analysts currently have an average rating of "Hold" for Sprouts Farmers Market, with a target price of approximately $167.27, while the stock recently opened at $156.94, down 1.7%.

XTX Topco Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 687.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 18,073 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,777 shares during the quarter. XTX Topco Ltd's holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $2,759,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. LPL Financial LLC grew its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 47.6% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 160,522 shares of the company's stock worth $20,398,000 after purchasing an additional 51,782 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 53.6% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 5,160 shares of the company's stock worth $656,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the fourth quarter worth $143,113,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the fourth quarter worth $1,162,000. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 18,677 shares of the company's stock worth $2,373,000 after buying an additional 987 shares during the period.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $173.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $173.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday. Roth Capital set a $155.00 price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Sprouts Farmers Market currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $171.53.

Sprouts Farmers Market Trading Up 1.7%

SFM traded up $2.54 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $154.08. 2,044,686 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,362,586. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.36 and a 1-year high of $182.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.78. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $163.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $158.31.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last posted its 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. Sprouts Farmers Market had a return on equity of 36.53% and a net margin of 5.77%. The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.16 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.94 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In related news, COO Nicholas Konat sold 20,270 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.50, for a total value of $3,395,225.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 55,675 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,325,562.50. This trade represents a 26.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Joe Fortunato sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.74, for a total transaction of $333,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 28,164 shares in the company, valued at $4,696,065.36. This trade represents a 6.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 65,743 shares of company stock worth $10,769,633 in the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Sprouts Farmers Market

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.