Five Food Chain Stocks Hedge Funds Like: Kroger Co. (KR), Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFM), & More

Next in line is Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM). In the current quarter, the company expects a sales growth of 2%, while earnings per share are estimated at between $0.23 and $0.24. For the full fiscal 2016, the company forecasts square footage growth of around 7% and in the fiscal 2017 it is expected to amount to 6%. A total of 26 investors tracked by us reported positions in Whole Foods Market’s stock worth $721.8 million in aggregate as of the end of June, versus 25 funds and $280.6 million, respectively, a quarter earlier.

Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) recently has lowered its guidance for the fiscal year 2016. The company expects full-year comparable store sales growth in the range of 1.5% to 2.5%. Last month, the company had guided for comparable store sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% for the full fiscal year. The downward revision to comparable store sales growth reflects the deflationary environment. Sprouts Farmers lowered its earnings guidance for the fiscal year to between $0.83 and $0.86 per share, well below the consensus estimate of $0.94 per share. There was something for investors to cheer though as Sprouts Farmers announced a $250 million share repurchase program. Among the funds we track at Insider Monkey, 22 investors amassed $135.6 million worth Sprouts Farmers Market’s stock in aggregate at the end of June, having amassed 3.90% of its outstanding stock, compared to 18 funds that held $237.7 million worth of shares a quarter earlier.

Vitamin Shoppe Inc. (NYSE:VSI) is a manufacturer and multi-channel specialty retailer of nutritional products. The company is now gearing for international expansion, with the opening of two stores in Panama and three in Costa Rica. However, the analysts’ view of the stock is lukewarm. The consensus price target on the stock is $30.50, which implies an upside of around 10% from the current levels. A total of 15 funds in our database held long positions in Vitamin Shoppe with a total value of $168.92 million at the end of the second quarter, having amassed 22.80% of its outstanding stock, compared to 16 funds that disclosed $191 million worth of shares in aggregate as of the end of March.

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