Out Fox The $treet

Summary Apollo Global Management files to sell remaining Sprouts shares. The investor management has regularly sold shares since the IPO. Sprouts isn't a cheap stock, but this recent dip is likely the best opportunity to buy the stock now. For investors interested in the long-term story at Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM ) , the after market news on March 4 was a long-awaited event. The stock of the organic grocer was repeatedly hit over the last couple of years after leading shareholder Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO ) dumped pre-IPO shares. At the time of the IPO, the investment manager had made it known that it planned to unload shares in theory placing a lid on the stock. Read the full article at Seeking Alpha. Disclaimer: No position mentioned. Please review the disclosure page for more details. 

Typically, when large insiders unload shares, investors need to be careful that the original investors are not cashing out at the top. In the case of Sprouts Farmers Market ( NASDAQ: SFM     ) , the recent unloading of shares by major insider Apollo Global Management ( NYSE: APO     ) is actually a good sign for new investors. Sprouts Farmers Market is a specialty retailer of fresh, natural, and organic foods with a focus on great prices. The company operates roughly 170 stores in just nine states, with the ultimate goal of reaching 1,200 locations. Read the full article here . Disclosure: No positions mentioned. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Shareholders who only read the earnings headlines for the stocks they own are missing out: A ton of additional information can usually be gleaned from the related conference calls. For investors interested in the increasingly highly competitive fresh and organic market, Sprouts Farmer Market   ( NASDAQ: SFM     )  provided some solid numbers to digest during its recent third quarter. The organic chain, mostly located in the Southwest, has ample opportunities for a regional to national expansion plan. The stock, however, faces short-term pressure from a significant stock sale from its largest shareholder,  Apollo Global Management ( NYSE: APO     ). Additionally, mounting pressure continues to build in an industry that is becoming overly competitive based on reduced guidance from organic leader Whole Foods Market ( NASDAQ: WFM     ). Read the full article here . Disclosure: No position mentioned. Please review the discla...

Small Cap Insight After disappointing guidance, The Fresh Market ( TFM ) slumped 13% due in a large point to very high expectations for the grocery chain. Sure the organic and fresh grocer plays in a compelling secular trend, but it also faces a tough competitive environment with several companies raising significant funds to expand regional footprints. Not to mention the sector leader has made a big deal about driving down prices to produce growth. The company operates 136 stores in 26 states and expects to open 21 to 22 stores this year with a high concentration in Q3. With the U.S. supermarket listed as a $600 billion industry, Fresh Market has plenty of room to grow. The Nutrition Business Journal estimates that spending on the natural and organic sector has been growing at a rate of 10% annually with sales only reaching $43 billion in 2011. That growth rate would produce a total of just over $51 billion in 2013, but a number that wouldn't even reach 10% of...

EDITOR'S CHOICE After the 123% gain following the IPO, Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM ) appears to have sprouted too far for new investors. The company offers a compelling shopping experience and attractive pricing, but can it grow fast enough to justify a market cap exceeding $6 billion with revenue of only $2 billion last year. Sprouts competes in the fast growing and suddenly competitive natural and organic grocery sector against the likes more » Disclosure: No positions mentioned. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

With the smashing success of the Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM ) IPO, one has to wonder if the Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE: NGVC ) stock is undervalued. Natural Grocers has a faster growth rate and the stock didn’t have the same IPO pop. The company competes in the quickly growing natural and organic grocery sector against the likes of Sprouts, The Fresh Market (NASDAQ: TFM ) and Whole Foods more » Disclosure: No position mentioned. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

At the end of 2012, The Fresh Market (NASDAQ: TFM ) could do no wrong as the stock traded at $62 with a lofty forward PE in the 30s. The stock had doubled in a 12-month period from the lows in August 2011. Back in January the stock sprung a leak on weak earnings and our research suggested that investors tread lightly. The fast growing fresh foods retailer traded at a more » Disclosure: No positions mentioned. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

After a huge rally over the last couple of years, has the stock market lost interest in the organic food sector? As the market hits multi-year highs, organic grocery sector market leader Whole Foods Market  (NASDAQ: WFM ) is down 10% from all-time highs and The Fresh Market (NASDAQ: TFM ) has plunged the last couple of months. The stock that hit $65 in August has fallen all the way to nearly more » Disclosure: No positions mentioned. Please review the disclaimer page for more details.