Yahoo Finance Sprouts Farmers (SFM) Presents Enough Reasons to Invest In It
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM, a recognized name in the grocery space, has exhibited a decent run on the bourses in the past year. Thanks to its operational initiatives —strengthening omni-channel solutions, expanding customer reach and focus on private-label offerings — the stock has outpaced the Zacks Food-Natural Foods Products industry. In the said period, shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have surged about 19.7% against the industry’s decline of 4.5%.
Additionally, an uptrend in the Zacks Consensus Estimate echoes the same sentiment. The consensus estimates for the current and next financial year have increased about 0.9% and 3% to $2.23 and $2.41, respectively, over the past 30 days. The company’s long-term earnings growth rate of 7.4% highlights its inherent strength.
Striking the Right Chord With Consumers
In an effort to expand its customer base, Sprouts Farmers has been taking several initiatives focused on product innovation, customer experience and targeted marketing with everyday great pricing and technology. It is steadily expanding its presence in the natural organic space, given the huge demand in the segment. It has been reducing operational complexity, optimizing production, improving in-stock position and updating to smaller format stores.
Apart from these, the company is trying to expand private-label offerings in departments under the Sprouts Market Corner Deli and The Butcher Shop at Sprouts. Product innovation continues to drive sales of private-label items.
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The Omni-Channel Mantra
Sprouts Farmers is focused on creating a robust omni-channel experience for customers. The company has been providing hassle-free shopping through the Sprouts.com website and mobile app as well as creating a supply chain that provides the freshest produce while also updating store prototypes.
The company’s partnership with Instacart enables it to better respond to customer demand and provide same-day delivery. During second-quarter 2022, e-commerce sales grew 15%, and represented approximately 11.1% of total sales.
Enhancing Footprint
Sprouts Farmers’ expansion strategy looks pretty impressive. In fiscal 2022, the company plans to open 15 to 17 new stores. Markedly, management now focuses on smaller-sized stores, which are more profitable, and emphasizes areas like produce and frozen. We believe these efforts are likely to boost sales. Also, the company is gradually heading toward its strategic goal of 10% unit-growth per year and currently plans to open at least 30 new stores in 2023.
Upbeat View
Management anticipates net sales growth of 4-5% and comparable store sales growth to be 1-2% in 2022. It projects earnings in the band of $2.18-$2.26 per share, which suggests an increase from earnings of $2.10 per share reported in 2021.
3 More Stocks Looking Red Hot
Here, we highlight three other top-ranked stocks, namely, BJ's Wholesale Club BJ, Kroger KR and Performance Food Group PFGC.
BJ's Wholesale Club, which operates membership warehouse clubs, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). BJ has an expected EPS growth rate of 9.3% for three-five years. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BJ's Wholesale Club’s current financial-year sales and EPS suggests growth of 15% and 10.8%, respectively, from the corresponding year-ago period’s levels. BJ has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 16.5%, on average.
Kroger, the renowned grocery retailer, carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The company has an expected EPS growth rate of 11.7% for three-five years.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kroger’s current financial-year sales and EPS suggests growth of 7.8% and 9.8%, respectively, from the year-ago reported number. KR has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.7%, on average.
Performance Food Group, which markets and distributes food and food-related products in the United States, carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Performance Food Group’s current financial-year sales and EPS suggests growth of 12.7% and 29.6%, respectively, from the corresponding year-ago period’s actuals. PFGC has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.3%, on average.
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The Kroger Co. (KR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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