Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Buys 126 Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) by 29.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 549 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $70,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Sprouts Farmers Market during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 93.5% during the fourth 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 last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 84.1% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 289 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 80.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the last quarter.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Performance

NASDAQ SFM opened at $136.97 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $150.28 and its 200-day moving average is $133.42. The firm has a market cap of $13.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.67. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 12-month low of $60.46 and a 12-month high of $178.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on SFM. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Bank of America upped their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $140.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sprouts Farmers Market has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $154.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Joe Fortunato sold 5,000 shares of Sprouts Farmers Market stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.80, for a total transaction of $724,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 28,571 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,137,080.80. This trade represents a 14.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Douglas Gregory Rauch sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.89, for a total value of $104,223.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 10,874 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,619,029.86. The trade was a 6.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,264 shares of company stock valued at $6,995,193. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

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.