40,396 Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. $SFM Shares Sold by Retirement Systems of Alabama

Retirement Systems of Alabama reduced its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) by 12.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 271,776 shares of the company’s stock after selling 40,396 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned 0.29% of Sprouts Farmers Market worth $18,032,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SFM. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000.

Sprouts Farmers Market Trading Up 3.5%

Sprouts Farmers Market stock opened at $50.56 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $4.66 billion, a PE ratio of 9.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $64.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.31. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. has a 52 week low of $47.35 and a 52 week high of $94.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ:SFM) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.22 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.33 billion. Sprouts Farmers Market had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 33.83%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.22 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on SFM shares. Barclays dropped their price objective on Sprouts Farmers Market from $100.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Bank of America downgraded Sprouts Farmers Market from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $47.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered Sprouts Farmers Market from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $111.00 to $49.00 in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Sprouts Farmers Market from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Sprouts Farmers Market currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.77.

Insider Transactions at Sprouts Farmers Market

In related news, Director Joseph D. O’leary sold 2,597 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.57, for a total transaction of $214,434.29. Following the transaction, the director owned 14,710 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,214,604.70. This represents a 15.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Jack Sinclair sold 10,788 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.14, for a total transaction of $584,062.32. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 269,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,616,717.20. This trade represents a 3.84% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 46,041 shares of company stock valued at $3,108,047. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Sprouts Farmers Market Profile

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is a specialty grocery retailer focused on fresh, natural and organic foods. Its stores offer produce, meat and seafood, bakery and deli items, vitamins and supplements, and packaged grocery products, including the company’s own brands. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Its stores serve communities across the United States, with a footprint concentrated in the Sunbelt and extending into other regions. Sprouts emphasizes fresh foods and products for customers seeking natural, organic and health-oriented options, combining grocery departments with a market-style store format.