Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG) Shares Up 6% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares jumped about 6% to $5.73 midday Monday on light trading (~636k shares vs. a 4.26M average), trading near its 50‑day MA ($5.61) but below the 200‑day MA ($6.59).
• Analysts maintain a consensus Hold rating with an average target of $7.84, while individual price targets and ratings range widely (from $4.50 sells to $7.00 equals/neutrals).
• Fundamentals are pressured—Sweetgreen missed quarterly EPS (−$0.42 vs. −$0.31 est.), revenue fell 3.5% YoY and margins/ROE are negative—yet an insider bought shares recently and institutional ownership is very high (~95.8%).

Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG - Get Free Report)'s stock price traded up 6% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $5.73 and last traded at $5.7150. 635,840 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 4,260,393 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.39.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Sweetgreen from $5.00 to $5.60 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of Sweetgreen in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They issued a "mkt underperform" rating and a $4.50 price target for the company. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Sweetgreen from $5.00 to $7.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. DA Davidson started coverage on Sweetgreen in a report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $5.50 price objective on the stock. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Sweetgreen from $9.00 to $7.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $7.84.

Sweetgreen Stock Performance

The business's 50 day moving average price is $5.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $685.95 million, a PE ratio of -5.08 and a beta of 1.90.

Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported ($0.42) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($0.11). Sweetgreen had a negative net margin of 19.73% and a negative return on equity of 32.26%. The company had revenue of $155.19 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $159.59 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.25) EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Sweetgreen, Inc. will post -0.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Nicolas Jammet acquired 4,428 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $5.71 per share, for a total transaction of $25,283.88. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 22,543 shares of the company's stock, valued at $128,720.53. This represents a 24.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 19.78% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sweetgreen

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SG. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Sweetgreen by 1,428.8% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,923,973 shares of the company's stock worth $31,313,000 after buying an additional 3,667,306 shares during the period. Woodson Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Sweetgreen by 152.6% in the fourth quarter. Woodson Capital Management LP now owns 6,000,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,560,000 after acquiring an additional 3,625,000 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in Sweetgreen by 366.8% in the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,647,899 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,900,000 after purchasing an additional 2,080,628 shares during the period. Greenhouse Funds LLLP raised its holdings in Sweetgreen by 82.8% in the third quarter. Greenhouse Funds LLLP now owns 3,946,884 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,496,000 after acquiring an additional 1,788,175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Sweetgreen by 240.9% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,692,838 shares of the company's stock worth $13,509,000 after acquiring an additional 1,196,222 shares in the last quarter. 95.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Sweetgreen

Sweetgreen, Inc is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in salads, grain bowls and warm bowls that emphasize fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Since its founding in 2007 by Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru, Sweetgreen has focused on sustainable agriculture, working with regional farmers across the United States to provide seasonal produce and promote environmentally responsible sourcing practices. The company's menu features a variety of plant-forward options, including custom-build salads, chef-curated bowls and limited-time offerings that reflect changing harvests.

Sweetgreen operates a technology-driven service model that combines in-store experiences with digital ordering through its mobile app and website.

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