Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) Upgraded to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Thursday morning.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $50.00 target price on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse from $36.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Chefs’ Warehouse from $35.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th.

Chefs’ Warehouse Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of CHEF traded up $0.84 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $37.78. 371,895 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 350,811. Chefs’ Warehouse has a 12-month low of $17.29 and a 12-month high of $39.00. The firm has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.43 and a beta of 2.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $35.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.86.

Chefs’ Warehouse (NASDAQ:CHEF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.08. Chefs’ Warehouse had a return on equity of 12.30% and a net margin of 0.98%. The company had revenue of $874.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $833.25 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.12 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 21.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Chefs’ Warehouse will post 1.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chefs’ Warehouse

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Granahan Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Chefs’ Warehouse by 138.5% in the fourth quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 794,541 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,383,000 after acquiring an additional 461,455 shares during the last quarter. Penn Capital Management Company LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse during the 4th quarter worth approximately $12,495,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse by 2,010.2% in the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 301,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,863,000 after purchasing an additional 286,870 shares during the last quarter. Scout Investments Inc. acquired a new position in Chefs’ Warehouse during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,715,000. Finally, Stephens Investment Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chefs’ Warehouse by 17.0% during the fourth quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 1,046,940 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,811,000 after acquiring an additional 151,846 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.55% of the company’s stock.

Chefs’ Warehouse Company Profile

The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes specialty food and center-of-the-plate products in the United States, the Middle East, and Canada. The company's product portfolio includes specialty food products, such as artisan charcuterie, specialty cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate, and pastry products; and center-of-the-plate products consisting of custom cut beef, seafood, and hormone-free poultry, as well as broadline food products comprising cooking oils, butter, eggs, milk, and flour.