Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky Cuts Stock Position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lessened its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM - Free Report) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,585 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,540 shares during the quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky's holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $4,268,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SFM. Wesbanco Bank Inc. grew its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 28,659 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,642,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,975 shares of the company's stock valued at $251,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust grew its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 6,715 shares of the company's stock worth $853,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Sprouts Farmers Market by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,649 shares of the company's stock worth $845,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 30,664 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,896,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Down 0.7 %

NASDAQ:SFM traded down $1.10 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $166.93. 307,546 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,413,823. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 1 year low of $64.02 and a 1 year high of $178.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. The business's 50-day moving average price is $149.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $144.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.96 billion. Sprouts Farmers Market had a net margin of 4.93% and a return on equity of 29.86%. Analysts predict that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Sprouts Farmers Market

In related news, CMO Alisa Gmelich sold 445 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.42, for a total transaction of $61,151.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 4,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $609,595.12. This represents a 9.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Stacy W. Hilgendorf sold 229 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.43, for a total transaction of $31,929.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 10,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,425,811.18. The trade was a 2.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 96,764 shares of company stock valued at $13,562,649 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on SFM shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $119.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $174.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Bank of America boosted their price target on Sprouts Farmers Market from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $131.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $167.00.

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.