Sweetgreen Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:SG)
by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat GemSweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Investors bought 66,898 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 910% compared to the typical volume of 6,626 call options.
Sweetgreen Trading Up 16.5%
Shares of NYSE:SG traded up $1.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $8.03. The company had a trading volume of 7,320,807 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,319,462. The firm has a market cap of $953.61 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 66.80 and a beta of 2.03. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $6.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.32. Sweetgreen has a one year low of $4.49 and a one year high of $16.70.
Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.23) by ($0.04). Sweetgreen had a net margin of 2.49% and a negative return on equity of 33.07%. The business had revenue of $161.52 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $163.95 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.21) EPS. The company’s revenue was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Sweetgreen will post -0.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, insider Nicolas Jammet bought 4,428 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $5.71 per share, with a total value of $25,283.88. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 22,543 shares in the company, valued at approximately $128,720.53. This trade represents a 24.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc purchased 594,553 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $5.69 per share, with a total value of $3,383,006.57. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 11,900,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,712,450.95. This trade represents a 5.26% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 19.78% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SG. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in Sweetgreen by 22.4% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 291,477 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,292,000 after buying an additional 53,427 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Sweetgreen by 6.2% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 60,572 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,516,000 after purchasing an additional 3,553 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Sweetgreen during the second quarter worth about $197,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Sweetgreen during the second quarter worth about $538,000. Finally, Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sweetgreen by 121.7% during the second quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 680,255 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,122,000 after purchasing an additional 373,350 shares during the period. 95.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have recently commented on the company. BNP Paribas Exane raised their target price on Sweetgreen from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. DA Davidson raised their target price on Sweetgreen from $5.50 to $7.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Citizens Jmp started coverage on Sweetgreen in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They issued a “mkt underperform” rating and a $4.50 target price for the company. Piper Sandler cut their price target on Sweetgreen from $9.00 to $7.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on Sweetgreen from $5.00 to $7.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $7.60.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on SG
Sweetgreen Company Profile
Sweetgreen, Inc is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in salads, grain bowls and warm bowls that emphasize fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Since its founding in 2007 by Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru, Sweetgreen has focused on sustainable agriculture, working with regional farmers across the United States to provide seasonal produce and promote environmentally responsible sourcing practices. The company’s menu features a variety of plant-forward options, including custom-build salads, chef-curated bowls and limited-time offerings that reflect changing harvests.
Sweetgreen operates a technology-driven service model that combines in-store experiences with digital ordering through its mobile app and website.