Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) Director Purchases $198,882.45 in Stock
by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets DailyGrocery Outlet Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:GO – Get Free Report) Director Erik Ragatz acquired 33,997 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $5.85 per share, with a total value of $198,882.45. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 476,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,787,525. This trade represents a 7.68% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.
Grocery Outlet Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:GO traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $5.83. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,044,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,018,853. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $8.96 and a 200 day moving average of $11.85. Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has a twelve month low of $5.66 and a twelve month high of $19.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $572.21 million, a PE ratio of -2.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.50.
Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. Grocery Outlet had a negative net margin of 4.80% and a positive return on equity of 5.93%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.15 earnings per share. Grocery Outlet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.450-0.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. will post 0.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GO. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in Grocery Outlet by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 122,565 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,713,000 after acquiring an additional 6,736 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Grocery Outlet by 14.1% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 357,856 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,003,000 after purchasing an additional 44,214 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in shares of Grocery Outlet by 5.1% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 16,525 shares of the company’s stock valued at $205,000 after purchasing an additional 803 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Grocery Outlet by 7.4% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 642,806 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,984,000 after purchasing an additional 44,427 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Grocery Outlet during the second quarter worth about $263,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.87% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about Grocery Outlet
Here are the key news stories impacting Grocery Outlet this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Director Erik D. Ragatz purchased a large block of shares across Mar. 18–19 (33,997 and 50,000 shares) increasing his stake materially — a strong management vote of confidence that can support the stock. SEC Filing
- Neutral Sentiment: Feature piece on Grocery Outlet’s sourcing and shelf strategy provides useful operational context but is unlikely to move the stock by itself. How Grocery Outlet’s food gets onto its shelves
- Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have announced or filed securities‑class action lawsuits alleging misrepresentations tied to the company’s Aug. 5, 2025–Mar. 4, 2026 period — raising litigation, potential settlement costs, and management distraction. Class Action Alert
- Negative Sentiment: Grocery Outlet missed consensus EPS for the most recent quarter and issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $0.45–$0.55; revenue grew but margins remain pressured — results that contributed to analyst downgrades and lower targets. Recent earnings & guidance
- Negative Sentiment: EVP Luke Thompson sold ~3,425 shares on Mar. 16 — a small insider sale that can add to short‑term selling pressure when combined with other negative flows. Insider sale
- Negative Sentiment: Several law‑firm investor alerts and follow‑on analyst reductions have amplified downside sentiment; consensus rating has shifted toward Reduce and targets sit well above current levels, limiting near‑term upside. Investor alerts & analyst actions
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages have recently commented on GO. Craig Hallum cut shares of Grocery Outlet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Grocery Outlet from $12.00 to $9.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $7.00 price target (down from $18.00) on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Grocery Outlet from $10.50 to $7.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Grocery Outlet currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $10.68.
Grocery Outlet Company Profile
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: GO) is a specialty discount retailer that offers consumers deeply discounted groceries by purchasing excess inventory, closeouts, and overstocks from manufacturers and distributors. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, the company operates two primary banners—Grocery Outlet and Fresh2Go—with a combined footprint of more than 400 stores. Its product assortment spans fresh produce, meat, dairy, bakery items, household staples, natural and organic offerings, and select specialty products, all sold at significant markdowns compared to conventional supermarkets.
The company’s unique buying model enables it to source inventory through opportunistic purchases of surplus freight, discontinued items, and closeout deals, which it then passes on as savings to its customers.