Insider Buying: Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) Director Purchases 40,000 Shares of Stock

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:GO) Director Carey Jaros bought 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $6.26 per share, for a total transaction of $250,400.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 76,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $476,173.16. The trade was a 110.91% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Grocery Outlet Trading Down 1.9%

GO traded down $0.12 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $6.20. The company had a trading volume of 4,551,366 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,158,689. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $9.49 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.37. The stock has a market cap of $608.53 million, a P/E ratio of 9.16, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.50. Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has a 52 week low of $5.66 and a 52 week high of $19.41.

Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by ($0.02). Grocery Outlet had a negative net margin of 4.80% and a positive return on equity of 5.93%. The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.15 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. Grocery Outlet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.450-0.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. will post 0.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group downgraded shares of Grocery Outlet from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $15.00 to $9.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Grocery Outlet from $12.00 to $9.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $8.00 price objective on Grocery Outlet in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Grocery Outlet presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $10.68.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Grocery Outlet

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GO. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd grew its stake in Grocery Outlet by 1,030.4% in the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 2,532 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 2,308 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Grocery Outlet during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Grocery Outlet by 591.5% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,739 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Grocery Outlet in the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in Grocery Outlet by 32.3% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,942 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares in the last quarter. 99.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Grocery Outlet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Grocery Outlet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director insider buy — Director John Bachman purchased 16,000 shares (~$103k) at roughly $6.46, increasing his stake by ~28%; an insider buy can signal management confidence. Director Acquires $103,360.00 in Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Some favorable coverage of the Q4 results and renewed market interest has attracted short‑term buyers and liquidity, providing a modest offset to negative headlines. Q4 earnings outperformers
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership — Institutions hold the vast majority of shares, which supports liquidity but means large rebalances can magnify moves; this is a structural market factor rather than an immediate catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Law‑firm investigations announced — The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz and Levi & Korsinsky have opened inquiries into possible securities‑law violations tied to prior guidance/communications, increasing litigation risk and investor uncertainty. Securities Fraud Investigation (Frank R. Cruz) Possible Fraud – Levi & Korsinsky
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — CEO Jason Potter sold ~67k shares (~$394k) and multiple EVPs sold material positions the same day; concentrated insider sales often weigh on sentiment and can signal liquidity needs or confidence concerns. Insider Selling Filings
• Negative Sentiment: Operational setback — Company will close four Northeast Ohio stores citing “millions in losses,” highlighting regional underperformance and potential margin pressure. Store Closures
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings and guidance headwinds — Q4 results missed consensus slightly (EPS and revenue), and management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $0.45–$0.55 (below some analysts’ expectations), underscoring margin stress and limiting near‑term upside. Company Earnings & Guidance Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and negative consensus — Several firms trimmed ratings/targets and MarketBeat shows a “Reduce” consensus, which can amplify selling pressure and reduce confidence among retail/institutional holders. Analyst Scrutiny on Consumer Trends

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.