Handelsbanken Fonder AB Cuts Stock Position in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB trimmed its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) by 33.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 449,800 shares of the company’s stock after selling 229,000 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $57,156,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 93.5% in 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 grew its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 84.1% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 289 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 80.6% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares during the period.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SFM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $102.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $132.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $134.50.

Sprouts Farmers Market Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SFM opened at $175.97 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 12 month low of $52.24 and a 12 month high of $178.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.63. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $147.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $128.99.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In other news, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 2,915 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.54, for a total transaction of $488,379.10. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 143,669 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,070,304.26. This trade represents a 1.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Douglas Gregory Rauch sold 700 shares of Sprouts Farmers Market stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.89, for a total transaction of $104,223.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,874 shares in the company, valued at $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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 42,614 shares of company stock worth $6,323,731. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Sprouts Farmers Market 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.