Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Purchases 156,021 Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) by 48.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 477,665 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 156,021 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $60,697,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in 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 during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the fourth quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in Sprouts Farmers Market by 32.9% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 460 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the period.

Sprouts Farmers Market Trading Down 0.4 %

Sprouts Farmers Market stock opened at $147.76 on Friday. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a one year low of $61.61 and a one year high of $178.99. The business’s fifty day moving average is $151.77 and its 200 day moving average is $137.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.49 billion, a PE ratio of 39.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.67. 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 (NASDAQ:SFM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $2 billion during 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sprouts Farmers Market

In related news, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 2,935 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.74, for a total transaction of $407,201.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 149,499 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,741,491.26. This represents a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Stacy W. Hilgendorf sold 890 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.42, for a total value of $122,303.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,347 shares in the company, valued at $1,284,464.74. The trade was a 8.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 94,784 shares of company stock worth $13,231,786. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on SFM shares. Roth Mkm lifted their target price on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $105.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $140.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Sprouts Farmers Market from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $160.00 price target on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, 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 research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $167.00.

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.