Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $166.36 and last traded at $165.85, with a volume of 1349740 shares. The stock had previously closed at $159.75.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on SFM. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Sprouts Farmers Market from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $102.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $127.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $119.40.

Sprouts Farmers Market Price Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average of $143.83 and a 200 day moving average of $123.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market cap of $16.99 billion, a PE ratio of 49.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.63.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Douglas Gregory Rauch sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $1,619,029.86. The trade was a 6.05 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 2,935 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.74, for a total transaction of $407,201.90. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 149,499 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,741,491.26. The trade was a 1.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 39,699 shares of company stock valued at $5,835,352 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SFM. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 84.1% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 289 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000.

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.