Sprouts Farmers Market LLC
🔔 Watch stock
Assessment
Our Rating
A journalistic assessment by our editorial team at the time of the deep dive — it rates the company, not the entry point. Not investment advice and not a solicitation to buy or sell.
The business works in principle, but one material question is open. As long as it stays open, our findings do not carry a quality verdict.
Why this colour
Yellow stands here for a financially very solid company with a documented operating break. Hard findings argue for quality: nothing drawn on the $600 million revolver as of December 28, 2025, an Altman Z-score of 5.20, a 33.6 percent equity ratio, a 38.8 percent gross margin and $523.7 million of net income in fiscal 2025 on $716 million of operating cash flow. Green is blocked by the break in the king metric: comparable store sales fell from plus 11.7 to minus 1.7 percent within five quarters, gross margin from 39.6 to 39.4 percent and the operating margin from 10.1 to 9.2 percent — and the company's own guidance sees no acceleration in 2026. Add the supplier concentration of roughly 64 percent of purchases across two addresses. Red would be wrong: there is no substance, debt or going-concern question.
What the thesis turns on
Assessment: Opportunities & Risks
Sprouts Farmers Market is the anchor-price trap in its purest form: the stock trades roughly 58 percent below its all-time closing high of $179.53 (June 2, 2025), yet a stock only becomes cheap once the business behind it grows again. Right now it does not — comparable store sales swung from plus 11.7 to minus 1.7 percent within five quarters, and 2026 guidance calls for minus 1 to plus 1 percent. Against that stands a balance sheet in excellent health: nothing drawn on the revolver, an Altman Z-score of 5.20 and a $1 billion buyback authorization. The turnaround is therefore not a restructuring question but a patience question: do the customers come back to the existing stores? Not investment advice.
Balance sheet & survival
The strongest part of the story: as of December 28, 2025 the $600 million revolving credit facility was undrawn, and as of March 29, 2026 the company held $252 million in cash. The Altman Z-score stands at 5.20 and the equity ratio at 33.6 percent (data as of July 26, 2026). This company can fund a multi-year dry spell out of its own pocket.
Operating trend
Retail's king metric has turned: comparable store sales fell from plus 11.7 percent (Q1 2025) through plus 10.2, plus 5.9 and plus 1.6 to minus 1.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026. The 4 percent revenue gain in that quarter came entirely from new stores, per the quarterly report. Gross margin also slipped from 39.6 to 39.4 percent and the operating margin from 10.1 to 9.2 percent.
Company guidance
Guidance issued on April 29, 2026 promises a plateau rather than a turn for 2026: comparable store sales of minus 1 to plus 1 percent and diluted earnings per share of $5.32 to $5.48 on a 52-week basis, against $5.31 in fiscal 2025; minus 2 to zero percent for the second quarter. The contribution of the 53rd calendar week (about $0.21 per share) exceeds the expected operating earnings growth.
Supply chain concentration
Roughly 64 percent of all purchases run through two wholesalers: KeHE at 52 percent (contract through July 31, 2035) and UNFI at 12 percent after 3 percent previously — with that contract ending on July 31, 2026. During the move of meat and seafood to self-distribution begun in 2025, the annual report concedes supply disruptions with availability challenges and customer disruption.
Capital allocation
A $1 billion repurchase authorization without an expiration date has been running since August 13, 2025. The company bought back 4.0 million shares for $472 million in 2025 and another 1.9 million for $140 million in the first quarter of 2026; the share count fell from 103.4 million (2023, weighted diluted) to 94,044,301 as of April 27, 2026. Expansion continues with more than 40 stores planned for 2026.
Valuation & market picture
A market capitalization of roughly $7.0 billion equals about 14 times diluted earnings per share of $5.31 for fiscal 2025 — at the all-time high it was roughly 34 times. The premium is gone; the confirmation is missing. On July 26, 2026 the price sat below its 50-day line, 15.1 percent of the float is sold short, and insiders filed 20 sales and no purchases over twelve months.
Worth Noting
Sprouts reached the research list through our in-house stock scanner "Turnaround Candidates" (60 hits as of July 26, 2026). The stock clears both mandatory pillars and scores 6 of 8 points on the turn checklist — the minimum — which puts it 30th of 60. Because the scanner page displays only the 25 strongest hits, Sprouts is not visible there. The missing points are a price above the 50-day line and net insider buying. All scanner lists are recalculated daily.
On the drawdown from the all-time high: our data set shows 52.4 percent. Recomputed against the full price history since the August 1, 2013 IPO it is 58.3 percent (all-time closing high of $179.53 on June 2, 2025 against $74.89 on July 24, 2026). The self-measured figure is used throughout the article; the scanner's mandatory pillar (at least 50 percent below the all-time high) is cleared on either measure.
As-of dates and comparison bases: filing figures carry the date of the respective report (fiscal 2025 as of December 28, 2025, the first quarter of 2026 as of March 29, 2026, the share count as of April 27, 2026), while market data and metrics carry the July 26, 2026 data date. Guidance for 2026 is stated by the company explicitly on a 52-week basis, whereas fiscal 2026 ends on January 3, 2027 and runs 53 weeks — a point to keep in mind when the actual figures are compared later.
Stock Watch
This analysis is as of August 26, 2026. Stock Watch will tell you what's changed at SFM since then.
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Price history
Chart
Interactive price chart (TradingView).
52-week range: 65.60 $ to 123.40 $ · Last price: 69.60 $ (As of: September 17, 2026)
Key figures
Key figures at a glance
Every figure we hold for this stock, grouped by topic. The question mark next to a label explains what the number means.
Basics
Performance
Technical Indicators
Calculated from the price history · as of 09/18/2026
Valuation
Profitability
Balance Sheet & Safety
Growth
Dividend
This stock currently pays no dividend.
Quality & Screener
Comparison
Industry comparison
The stock alongside the largest companies in the same group. The median row is the middle value of the companies shown above — not of the whole industry.
Industry: Grocery Stores
| Company | Market cap ($B) | P/E | EV/EBITDA | Gross Margin % | EBIT Margin % | Sales Growth (Year) % | Perf. 1Y % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprouts Farmers Market LLC SFM | 6.5 | 14.3 | 8.7 | 38.9 | 9.2 | 14.1 | -43.6 |
| Kroger Company KR | 37.0 | 36.5 | 9.9 | 23.9 | 3.2 | 0.4 | -6.3 |
| Albertsons Companies ACI | 6.3 | 33.1 | 6.7 | 27.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 | -28.8 |
| Weis Markets Inc WMK | 1.8 | 18.6 | 6.7 | 26.0 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Ingles Markets Incorporated IMKTA | 1.6 | – | 6.0 | 24.3 | 6.2 | -5.4 | 19.1 |
| Yesway, Inc. YSWY | 1.4 | – | 41.1 | 20.8 | 6.9 | 5.8 | – |
| Grocery Outlet Holding Corp GO | 1.2 | – | 20.1 | 30.0 | – | 7.3 | -31.0 |
| Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC | 0.7 | 14.7 | 10.1 | 33.5 | – | 7.2 | -18.0 |
| Village Super Market Inc VLGEA | 0.7 | – | 7.2 | 28.2 | – | 3.8 | 16.5 |
| Median of companies shown | 1.6 | 18.6 | 8.7 | 27.0 | 4.7 | 3.8 | -12.2 |
Based on the most recently reported figures. Only stocks from the same trading venue are lined up, so the market caps are counted in one currency. Compare in a chart →
Fiscal years
Annual Figures
Fiscal years from the audited annual reports, oldest first. EBIT is the operating profit before interest and taxes; total assets are everything the company owns.
Revenue, operating income and net income per fiscal year $M
Revenue Operating income Net income
| Fiscal Year | Revenue ($M) | EBIT ($M) | Net Income ($M) | EPS ($) | Operating Cash Flow ($M) | Equity ($M) | Total Assets ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4,046 | 213 | 124 | 0.83 | 254 | 673 | 1,440 |
| 2017 | 4,665 | 226 | 158 | 1.15 | 310 | 651 | 1,582 |
| 2018 | 5,207 | 223 | 159 | 1.22 | 294 | 589 | 1,676 |
| 2019 | 5,635 | 217 | 150 | 1.25 | 355 | 582 | 2,723 |
| 2020 | 6,469 | 392 | 287 | 2.43 | 494 | 881 | 2,806 |
| 2021 | 6,100 | 334 | 244 | 2.10 | 365 | 960 | 2,923 |
| 2022 | 6,404 | 358 | 261 | 2.39 | 371 | 1,046 | 3,070 |
| 2023 | 6,837 | 350 | 259 | 2.50 | 465 | 1,149 | 3,327 |
| 2024 | 7,719 | 505 | 381 | 3.75 | 645 | 1,322 | 3,641 |
| 2025 | 8,806 | 691 | 524 | 5.31 | 716 | 1,403 | 4,159 |
Quarters
Quarterly Figures
Each bar is one quarter, the last one is the most recent. Use the switch to step through the individual figures.
Revenue & Profit
Cash Flow
Balance Sheet
Margins
Per Share
Click the chart or tab into it, then use ← and → to step through the periods.
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· Total · per year
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The figures could not be loaded right now.
Source: fundamental data
| Quarter | EPS (Earnings Per Share) | EPS YoY (%) | Sales ($M) | Sales YoY (%) | Net Margin (%) | OCF ($M) | FCF ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024: Q4 | 0.79 | 60.30 | 1,996 | 17.50 | 4.00 | 125 | 56 |
| 2025: Q1 | 1.81 | 61.40 | 2,236 | 18.70 | 8.00 | 299 | 240 |
| 2025: Q2 | 1.35 | 43.80 | 2,221 | 17.30 | 6.00 | 111 | 50 |
| 2025: Q3 | 1.22 | 34.20 | 2,200 | 13.10 | 5.50 | 167 | 111 |
| 2025: Q4 | 0.92 | 17.30 | 2,149 | 7.60 | 4.20 | 137 | 65 |
| 2026: Q1 | 1.71 | -5.10 | 2,329 | 4.10 | 7.00 | 235 | 134 |
| 2026: Q2 | 1.37 | 1.50 | 2,326 | 4.70 | 5.60 | 134 | 45 |
What Do These Terms Mean?
- EPS (Earnings Per Share):
- Quarterly profit divided by the total share count — how much of the profit works out to a single share.
- YoY (Year over Year):
- Change versus the same quarter a year ago — this is how you compare without seasonal distortion (e.g. the holiday shopping season).
- Sales:
- All revenue for the quarter, before any costs are deducted — the top line of the income statement.
- Net Margin:
- What percentage of sales is left over as profit in the end. Negative means the company is posting a loss.
- OCF (Operating Cash Flow):
- The cash that actually flows into the till from the core business during the quarter — harder to dress up than book profit.
- FCF (Free Cash Flow):
- Operating cash flow minus capital expenditures — the money that's genuinely free to use, say for paying down debt, buybacks, or dividends.
Screening
Appears in These Scanners
This stock currently matches 9 of our scanner strategies — each hit links to the scanner.
Backtested Scanners
Quality & Balance Sheet
Aktien.Guide
Momentum & Trend
Research
Risk & Weakness
Only genuine hits from verified scanners count; pure ranking metrics (P/E, P/S, and similar, which just sort the whole universe) don't count as a hit. Scanners marked in red are red-flag signals (risk/short scanners) — appearing there is not a seal of approval. View all scanners
Outlook
Analysts & Price Target
Combined picture of the price targets and recommendations of every analyst covering the stock. Price targets are expectations for the next 12 months, not promises — and they often follow the price rather than predict it.
Distribution of Recommendations
Estimates by Fiscal Year
| Fiscal Year | EPS Estimate ($) | EPS Range ($) | Revenue Estimate ($M) | Expected Growth | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2026 | 5.55 | 5.36 – 5.62 | 9,484 | 4.7% | 12 |
| 12/31/2027 | 5.95 | 5.65 – 6.26 | 10,205 | 7.3% | 11 |
Average of the analyst estimates for the coming fiscal years. The range shows how far the most optimistic and the most cautious estimate sit apart — the wider it is, the less certain the expectation.
Valuation
What is priced in?
Instead of guessing what the stock is worth, we turn the question around: what free cash flow growth has to happen for today’s market value to add up? The assumptions behind it can be moved.
Today’s market value implies roughly 6.6% growth in free cash flow per year over ten years (assumptions: discount rate 10.0%, terminal growth 2.5%).
| Free cash flow (last twelve months) | $355.2M |
|---|---|
| Market cap | $6.55B |
| Free cash flow in year ten | $672.9M |
| Terminal value as a share of market value | 54.2% |
For comparison: over the past five years free cash flow grew by 4.7% per year.
It shows which assumption is built into today’s price, not whether that assumption will hold. Every assumption can be changed with the sliders; the figures move with them.
A simplified model calculation — not a forecast and not a recommendation.
AI classification
AI Rating
Sprouts setzt Künstliche Intelligenz und maschinelles Lernen intern in der eigenen IT ein — für Bedarfsprognose, Nachschub, Schwund- und Personalsteuerung sowie Automatisierung der Lieferkette; ein KI-Produkt wird nicht verkauft, und die Berichte nennen KI nur als Werkzeug und als Risikoquelle, nicht als Bedrohung des Geschäftsmodells.
View the full file — quotes, sources, reviewed filings
„To further develop our capabilities, we continue to evaluate and integrate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing to support automation, generate more timely insights, and enhance scalability."
Um unsere Fähigkeiten weiterzuentwickeln, prüfen und integrieren wir weiterhin neue Technologien wie Künstliche Intelligenz, maschinelles Lernen und Cloud-Computing, um Automatisierung zu unterstützen, zeitnähere Erkenntnisse zu gewinnen und die Skalierbarkeit zu verbessern.
10-K · 2026-02-19 · View SEC filing
„Our IT initiatives are focused on supporting high in-stock availability, optimizing demand forecasting, automating elements of our supply chain processes, enhancing the customer experience, and increasing workforce productivity."
Unsere IT-Initiativen zielen darauf, eine hohe Warenverfügbarkeit zu sichern, die Bedarfsprognose zu optimieren, Teile unserer Lieferkettenprozesse zu automatisieren, das Kundenerlebnis zu verbessern und die Produktivität der Belegschaft zu erhöhen.
10-K · 2026-02-19 · View SEC filing
„Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, may not deliver expected efficiencies and could introduce new risks."
Neue Technologien, darunter Künstliche Intelligenz und maschinelles Lernen, liefern möglicherweise nicht die erwarteten Effizienzgewinne und könnten neue Risiken mit sich bringen.
10-K · 2026-02-19 · View SEC filing
„To further strengthen our capabilities, we continue to integrate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing to advance automation, generate real-time insights, and improve scalability."
Um unsere Fähigkeiten weiter zu stärken, integrieren wir fortlaufend neue Technologien wie Künstliche Intelligenz, maschinelles Lernen und Cloud-Computing, um die Automatisierung voranzutreiben, Echtzeit-Erkenntnisse zu gewinnen und die Skalierbarkeit zu verbessern.
10-K · 2025-02-20 · View SEC filing
Filings Reviewed: 10-K 2026-02-19 · 10-K 2025-02-20 · 10-Q 2026-04-29 · 10-Q 2025-10-29 · 10-Q 2025-07-30 · 10-Q 2025-04-30
Rated on July 27, 2026 · How the Rating Is Built
Growth
Growth Score
Ten checks against the annual reports — each one passed counts a point.
- Revenue grows by more than 15% a year over three years 11.2%
- More than 10% revenue growth is expected for the coming year 7.3%
- Share count grows by less than 3% a year -3.3%
- Revenue growth plus cash-flow margin add up to at least 40 ("Rule of 40") 19.4%
- Gross margin at 40% or higher and without meaningful erosion 37.1%
- Goodwill from acquisitions does not grow faster than revenue 9.2%
- Net debt below twice EBITDA 1.7 x EBITDA
- Operating cash flow covers the profits of the last three years 663 m
- Return on capital at 15% or higher, or up versus two years ago 21.0%
- Insiders hold at least 10% or are net buyers 0.6%
A criterion without figures counts neither as passed nor as failed; a score is only produced from 7 judgeable criteria upwards. Source: fundamental data. All ten criteria in detail
Quality check
AAQS
10/10 Quality stockThe AAQS (AlleAktien Quality Score) checks 10 quality criteria on growth, profitability, and balance-sheet strength — per the methodology developed and published by AlleAktien, calculated by us from our own fundamental data. A stock counts as a quality stock from 9 out of 10 points. Where a company has a shorter listing history, we calculate over the fiscal years available (at least five).
- Sales growth 10Y > 5% 9.0%
- Exp. sales growth 3Y > 5% 7.6%
- EBIT growth 10Y > 5% 14.0%
- Exp. EBIT growth 3Y > 5% 5.9%
- Net debt < 4x EBIT 2.4x
- EBIT positive, 10Y straight 10
- Max. EBIT decline < 50% 14.7%
- Return on equity > 15% 64.4%
- ROCE > 15% 21.0%
- Expected return > 10% 13.5%
View stocks with the full AAQS score · Read the methodology at AlleAktien
Source: fundamental data
Insiders
Insider Transactions
Reportable transactions by officers and major shareholders from SEC Form 4 filings. "Other" includes things like stock grants and option exercises without a buy/sell character.
| Date | Person | Role | Type | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2026 | Hamilton Dustin | Chief Stores Officer | Sell | 292 | 80.36 | 23,466 |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Sell | 10,788 | 78.25 | 844,108 |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Other | 10,788 | 16.47 | 177,678 |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Sell | 10,788 | 82.66 | 891,700 |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Other | 10,788 | 16.47 | 177,678 |
| Aug 14, 2026 | O'Leary Joseph D | Director | Sell | 2,597 | 82.57 | 214,440 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Sell | 10,788 | 86.80 | 936,364 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Other | 10,788 | 16.47 | 177,678 |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Sell | 10,788 | 89.34 | 963,757 |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Sinclair Jack | Chief Executive Officer | Other | 10,788 | 16.47 | 177,678 |
The company
About the Company
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. ist mit ihren Tochtergesellschaften im Einzelhandel mit frischen, natürlichen und biologischen Lebensmitteln in den USA tätig.
- CEO Insider Trades (12 Mo.)
- selling own stock
- Employees
- 36,000
- Headquarters
- Phoenix, AZ
- Address
- 5455 East High Street, 85054 Phoenix, United States
- Phone
- 480 814 8016
- Website
- sprouts.com
- IPO Date
- 08/01/2013
- ISIN
- US85208M1027
Management
| Name | Title | Birth Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jack L. Sinclair | CEO & Director | 1961 |
| Nicholas Konat | President & COO | 1978 |
| Curtis Valentine | Chief Financial Officer | 1980 |
| James H. Bahrenburg | Chief Technology Officer | 1965 |
| Stacy W. Hilgendorf | VP, Controller & Principal Accounting Officer | 1970 |
| Susannah Livingston | Vice President of Investor Relations & Treasury | – |
| Brandon F. Lombardi Esq., J.D. | Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer and Corporate Secretary | 1977 |
| Timmi Zalatoris | Chief Human Resources Officer | 1977 |
| David M. McGlinchey | Chief Development Officer | 1973 |
| Kim Coffin | Senior Vice President & Chief Forager | 1969 |
Executives per the latest required filings; titles kept in their original language. Source: fundamental data.
Filings
Company Filings (8-K)
An 8-K is the filing a US company must use to disclose material events immediately — takeovers, changes at the top, major contracts or payment troubles, for instance. The links open the original document at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
- 09/01/2026 Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM): Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers: Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers SEC ↗
- 07/29/2026 Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM): Results of Operations and Financial Condition; Regulation FD Disclosure; Financial Statements and Exhibits SEC ↗
Data as of: September 17, 2026 · Source: fundamental data & SEC filings (annual and quarterly reports, 10-K/10-Q)
Note: pure fact-based analysis, not investment advice and not a solicitation to buy or sell. All figures without guarantee.