Ranger Investment Management L.P. Sells 98,980 Shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. $SFM

Ranger Investment Management L.P. decreased its position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) by 65.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,355 shares of the company’s stock after selling 98,980 shares during the period. Ranger Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market were worth $5,587,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in SFM. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market by 19.8% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $434,000 after purchasing an additional 660 shares in the last quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sprouts Farmers Market during the 3rd quarter valued at $356,000. Optimize Financial Inc bought a new position in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 3rd quarter worth $469,000. Machina Capital S.A.S. purchased a new stake in Sprouts Farmers Market in the 3rd quarter worth $266,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Sprouts Farmers Market by 1.5% during the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 28,535 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,105,000 after acquiring an additional 416 shares during the period.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $91.00 price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 21st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Sprouts Farmers Market from $152.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.69.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John Scott Neal sold 17,471 shares of the 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 sale, the insider owned 14,178 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,207,965.60. This represents a 55.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Alisa Gmelich sold 3,161 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was 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 approximately $440,773.28. This represents a 36.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Sprouts Farmers Market Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of NASDAQ SFM opened at $68.31 on Friday. 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 12-month low of $66.17 and a 12-month high of $182.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $77.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $105.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.75.

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.