Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) Hits New 12-Month High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF) shares hit a new 52-week high on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $69.16 and last traded at $69.2950, with a volume of 66655 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $64.15.

The company reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Chefs’ Warehouse had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 14.11%. Chefs’ Warehouse’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.55 earnings per share.

Key Chefs’ Warehouse News

Here are the key news stories impacting Chefs’ Warehouse this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — CHEF reported $0.68 EPS vs. $0.62 consensus and revenue of $1.14B (up 10.5% YoY), showing solid organic growth that supports margin and top-line momentum. Zacks: Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: BTIG reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $74 price target (~15% upside vs. the recent open), which can provide additional buy-side conviction. Benzinga: BTIG Reaffirms Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Company provided FY-2026 net sales target of $4.35B–$4.45B, signaling continued growth ambition; investors will watch execution and margin implications. MSN: 2026 Net Sales Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and the full earnings presentation/slide deck are available — these will be important for modeling margin, SG&A cadence, and cash flow trends. Company Press Release & Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Shares slipped after the print as some investors viewed the 2026 outlook/guidance as cautious or not enough to justify higher multiples; short-term sentiment turned negative despite the beats. Investing.com: Shares Dip on Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple market write-ups note that while results beat, investors are parsing margin performance and the pace of profitability improvement — any slower-than-expected margin recovery could pressure the stock. MSN: Shares Slip as Investors Weigh 2026 Outlook

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on CHEF. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Chefs’ Warehouse from $80.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $74.00 target price on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in a research report on Thursday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Chefs’ Warehouse presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.71.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chefs’ Warehouse

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CHEF. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Chefs’ Warehouse by 229.5% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 458 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse by 515.3% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 523 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 438 shares in the last quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse during the second quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse during the third quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.55% of the company’s stock.

Chefs’ Warehouse Stock Up 6.4%

The firm has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.76 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 2.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $62.97 and its 200 day moving average is $61.93.

About Chefs’ Warehouse

Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc is a specialty food distributor that supplies a broad range of high‐end ingredients and culinary products to professional chefs, restaurants, hotels, and other foodservice operators. Headquartered in Maspeth, New York, the company sources its portfolio from local artisans, boutique producers and leading global suppliers. Its core offerings include fresh and frozen proteins, specialty cuts of meat and seafood, handcrafted cheeses and charcuterie, seasonal produce, value‐added preparations, pantry staples and premium desserts and beverages.

The company operates a network of distribution centers strategically located in major metropolitan markets across North America.