Luke Thompson Sells 3,785 Shares of Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) Stock

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:GO) EVP Luke Thompson sold 3,785 shares of Grocery Outlet stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.84, for a total value of $22,104.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 35,523 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,454.32. This represents a 9.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Grocery Outlet Stock Down 1.9%

Grocery Outlet stock opened at $6.20 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $608.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.71, 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. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 1.37. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $9.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.32.

Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.19 EPS 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.15 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Grocery Outlet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.450-0.550 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. will post 0.63 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Grocery Outlet

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $11.00 price objective on Grocery Outlet in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $7.00 target price (down from $18.00) on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research downgraded Grocery Outlet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Grocery Outlet in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $10.68.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grocery Outlet

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GO. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Grocery Outlet in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,696,000. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Grocery Outlet during the second quarter worth $3,835,000. Eisler Capital Management Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Grocery Outlet by 178.5% in the second quarter. Eisler Capital Management Ltd. now owns 227,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,821,000 after buying an additional 145,554 shares in the last quarter. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC grew its holdings in shares of Grocery Outlet by 165.1% during the third quarter. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC now owns 315,898 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,070,000 after buying an additional 196,737 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Heartland Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Grocery Outlet during the third quarter worth about $4,448,000. Institutional investors own 99.87% of the company’s stock.

About Grocery Outlet

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.