LOS ANGELES—Nathaniel Ru, Chief Brand Officer of Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG), recently sold a significant portion of his holdings in the company. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ru sold a total of 37,688 shares of Sweetgreen’s Class A common stock on November 6, 2024, at an average price of $40.21 per share. This transaction amounted to approximately $1.51 million.
The sale was executed under a pre-established 10b5-1 trading plan dated June 10, 2024, which allows insiders to set up a predetermined plan to sell stocks. Prior to the sale, Ru converted 16,751 shares of Class B common stock into Class A common stock. Additionally, he exercised stock options to acquire 20,937 shares at a price of $0.96 per share.
Following these transactions, Ru retains direct ownership of approximately 1.95 million shares of Sweetgreen’s Class A common stock, including shares subject to restricted stock units. The transactions reflect Ru's ongoing management of his equity position in the company, which operates in the competitive retail-eating places sector.
In other recent news, Sweetgreen Inc. has experienced a series of significant developments. The company reported a 21% year-over-year increase in revenue to $184.6 million in its second quarter. Sweetgreen has also announced plans to open 24 to 26 new restaurants in 2024, with more than half set to feature its Infinite Kitchen initiative. For fiscal year 2024, Sweetgreen projects a revenue range of $670 million to $680 million, and an adjusted EBITDA between $16 million and $19 million.
In terms of analyst updates, TD Cowen has maintained its Buy rating for Sweetgreen and set a price target of $43.00, citing the financial benefits of the company's Infinite Kitchen initiative. However, Piper Sandler downgraded Sweetgreen's stock from Overweight to Neutral, while Oppenheimer increased its price target to $40.00, reflecting optimism about the company's growth prospects.
Sweetgreen also announced the appointment of Christopher Tarrant as Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, who brings nearly two decades of experience in real estate within the restaurant industry. This appointment comes as part of the company's expansion plans, which include the introduction of its Infinite Kitchen concept in more than half of the new restaurants planned for 2024. These recent developments reflect a variety of perspectives on Sweetgreen's potential growth, with particular emphasis on the potential impact of the Infinite Kitchens initiative and the company's expansion plans.
InvestingPro Insights
Sweetgreen's recent stock performance aligns with Nathaniel Ru's significant sale. According to InvestingPro data, the company has seen a remarkable 327.99% price total return over the past year, with the stock trading near its 52-week high at 98.67% of that peak. This strong performance is further evidenced by the 81.51% price total return over the last six months.
Despite the impressive stock gains, InvestingPro Tips highlight that Sweetgreen is not currently profitable, with analysts not anticipating profitability this year. The company's P/E ratio stands at -57.84 for the last twelve months as of Q2 2024, indicating that investors are paying a premium for future growth potential rather than current earnings.
It's worth noting that Sweetgreen operates with a moderate level of debt, and its liquid assets exceed short-term obligations, which could provide some financial flexibility. However, the stock trades at a high revenue valuation multiple, suggesting investor optimism about future growth prospects.
For investors seeking a more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers 15 additional tips for Sweetgreen, providing a deeper understanding of the company's financial health and market position.
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