Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. $SFM Shares Sold by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) by 33.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,848 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,758 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $2,377,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 98.6% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the period. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 60.5% during the second quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the last quarter.

Insider Activity

In other Sprouts Farmers Market news, CMO Alisa Gmelich sold 3,161 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.39, for a total value of $250,951.79. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 5,552 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $440,773.28. This trade represents a 36.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider John Scott Neal sold 17,471 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.20, for a total transaction of $1,488,529.20. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 14,178 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,207,965.60. The trade was a 55.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market stock opened at $67.63 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $76.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $102.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a twelve month low of $64.75 and a twelve month high of $182.00. The stock has a market cap of $6.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.75.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on SFM shares. Zacks Research upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Evercore dropped their price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $175.00 to $130.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $200.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $148.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $185.00 to $122.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.77.

Sprouts Farmers Market Profile

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc (NASDAQ: SFM) is a specialty grocery retailer focused on fresh, natural and organic foods. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the company operates stores designed to offer an open-market shopping experience, emphasizing quality produce sourced from regional farmers alongside organic pantry staples, dairy, meat and seafood. Sprouts’ product assortment also includes bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, a deli and prepared foods, reflecting its commitment to wellness and affordable healthy living.

Founded in 2002 by members of the Boney family, Sprouts began as a single farmers market in Chandler, Arizona.