Summit Creek Advisors LLC Invests $7.78 Million in The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. $CHEF

Summit Creek Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 80,970 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,781,000. Chefs’ Warehouse comprises approximately 2.6% of Summit Creek Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 172,040 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,228,000 after purchasing an additional 13,318 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,807,801 shares of the company’s stock valued at $175,010,000 after purchasing an additional 58,154 shares during the period. Argent Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Chefs’ Warehouse during the first quarter worth $546,000. Penn Capital Management Company LLC boosted its holdings in Chefs’ Warehouse by 14.7% during the fourth quarter. Penn Capital Management Company LLC now owns 264,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,538,000 after buying an additional 34,011 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NFJ Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in Chefs’ Warehouse during the fourth quarter valued at $2,630,000. 91.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chefs’ Warehouse Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CHEF opened at $108.30 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.42 billion, a PE ratio of 51.57 and a beta of 1.38. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $99.70 and a 200 day moving average of $79.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 2.15. The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. has a one year low of $53.20 and a one year high of $117.33.

Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. Chefs’ Warehouse had a net margin of 2.09% and a return on equity of 16.95%. The company’s revenue was up 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chefs’ Warehouse News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain a generally favorable view, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy.” Benchmark, UBS, and TD Cowen raised their price targets to $125, while the broader analyst consensus includes one Strong Buy, five Buys, and two Holds. The Chefs’ Warehouse Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: CHEF has continued to attract growth-oriented attention after reporting quarterly EPS of $0.78, well above the $0.59 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 12.9% year over year to $1.17 billion. Zacks has highlighted the stock as a top-ranked growth company. Chefs’ Warehouse Is a Top-Ranked Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 91.6%, although the newly reported purchases were relatively small. The stock has also rallied substantially above its 200-day moving average, indicating strong momentum but potentially limited near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares on August 14. CEO Christopher Pappas sold 100,000 shares worth approximately $11.0 million, reducing his stake by 4.53%; General Counsel Alexandros Aldous sold 35,000 shares, cutting his position by 50.4%; and Christina Polychroni sold 2,752 shares, reducing her holdings by 11.1%. The cluster of insider selling is likely the main near-term concern for investors. Insider Selling at Chefs’ Warehouse
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly $108 per share, CHEF trades at a demanding P/E of about 51.6, while the consensus price target of $107.43 is slightly below the current level. That valuation leaves the stock vulnerable to profit-taking following its strong 2026 performance.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CHEF has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Benchmark lifted their price objective on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse from $106.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Chefs’ Warehouse from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Chefs’ Warehouse from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group upped their price target on Chefs’ Warehouse from $114.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, BTIG Research increased their price target on Chefs’ Warehouse from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $107.43.

Insider Transactions at Chefs’ Warehouse

In related news, insider Christina Polychroni sold 2,752 shares of Chefs’ Warehouse stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.00, for a total value of $308,224.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 22,014 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,465,568. The trade was a 11.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Alexandros Aldous sold 35,000 shares of Chefs’ Warehouse stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.97, for a total value of $3,883,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 34,442 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,822,028.74. The trade was a 50.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 137,752 shares of company stock valued at $15,203,174 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 11.10% of the company’s stock.

Chefs’ Warehouse Profile

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.