Jason Potter Sells 67,397 Shares of Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) Stock

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:GO) CEO Jason Potter sold 67,397 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.84, for a total value of $393,598.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 101,095 shares in the company, valued at $590,394.80. The trade was a 40.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Grocery Outlet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:GO opened at $6.20 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $9.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $12.32. The stock has a market cap of $608.55 million, a P/E ratio of -2.71, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.50. Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has a 1-year low of $5.66 and a 1-year high of $19.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) last issued 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). The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. Grocery Outlet had a negative net margin of 4.80% and a positive return on equity of 5.93%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.15 earnings per share. Grocery Outlet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.450-0.550 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. will post 0.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on GO shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Grocery Outlet from $10.50 to $7.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $11.50 target price on shares of Grocery Outlet in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Craig Hallum cut shares of Grocery Outlet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Grocery Outlet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group cut Grocery Outlet from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price target for the company from $15.00 to $9.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Grocery Outlet currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $10.68.

Trending Headlines about 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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Grocery Outlet

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Grocery Outlet by 32.3% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,942 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 719 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in Grocery Outlet by 1.0% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 72,087 shares of the company’s stock valued at $895,000 after acquiring an additional 739 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Grocery Outlet by 5.1% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 16,525 shares of the company’s stock worth $205,000 after acquiring an additional 803 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank raised its stake in Grocery Outlet by 3.5% during the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 28,875 shares of the company’s stock worth $463,000 after acquiring an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Grocery Outlet by 5.5% in the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 30,320 shares of the company’s stock worth $487,000 after acquiring an additional 1,591 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.