Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Hold

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on SFM. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Sprouts Farmers Market from $119.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $131.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $185.00 to $180.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $163.00 to $190.00 in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. 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 Stock Performance

Shares of SFM stock traded up $0.08 on Wednesday, hitting $149.78. 1,267,473 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,314,882. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $151.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $136.79. Sprouts Farmers Market has a one year low of $61.61 and a one year high of $178.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.68 billion, a PE ratio of 39.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.67. 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) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $1.96 billion. Sprouts Farmers Market had a net margin of 4.93% and a return on equity of 29.86%. Sell-side analysts expect that Sprouts Farmers Market will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, insider Timmi Zalatoris sold 1,065 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.97, for a total transaction of $143,743.05. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 9,830 shares in the company, valued at $1,326,755.10. This represents a 9.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Stacy W. Hilgendorf sold 890 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.42, for a total value of $122,303.80. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,347 shares in the company, valued at $1,284,464.74. This trade represents a 8.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 94,784 shares of company stock worth $13,231,786. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sprouts Farmers Market

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SFM. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 115.4% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 265 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 93.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 84.1% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 4th quarter worth $51,000.

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.