Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG) Stock Jumps 7.2% Following Analyst Upgrade

Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE:SG)’s share price shot up 7.2% during trading on Tuesday after Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on the stock from $6.50 to $11.00. Royal Bank Of Canada currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Sweetgreen traded as high as $8.75 and last traded at $8.8350. 617,408 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 5,082,884 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.24.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Sweetgreen from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Sweetgreen from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Sweetgreen from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $6.00 to $11.00 in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Sweetgreen from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Sweetgreen from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Sweetgreen presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $7.83.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, COO Jason Miles Cochran sold 4,809 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.21, for a total value of $29,863.89. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 207,076 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,285,941.96. This represents a 2.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Jamie McConnell sold 15,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.21, for a total value of $93,354.93. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 210,489 shares in the company, valued at $1,307,136.69. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders own 18.19% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Sweetgreen

Here are the key news stories impacting Sweetgreen this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target to $11 from $6.50 and upgraded Sweetgreen to “Outperform.” The new target implies approximately 24% upside from the referenced share price, signaling confidence that the current valuation does not fully reflect the company’s recovery potential.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo upgraded Sweetgreen to “Overweight” from “Equal Weight.” The firm’s more bullish view is based on improving operations and what it sees as a more favorable post-Cyclospora setup. Wells Fargo upgrades Sweetgreen to overweight from equal-weight
• Positive Sentiment: Shares have recovered the losses associated with the Cyclospora outbreak. The rebound suggests investors are viewing the incident as a manageable, largely priced-in issue rather than a lasting threat to Sweetgreen’s brand or growth prospects. Sweetgreen shares erase Cyclospora slump as Wells Fargo upgrades
• Neutral Sentiment: Although analyst sentiment has improved, Sweetgreen remains sensitive to execution, restaurant traffic, and the company’s ability to sustain operational improvements. The upgrades represent expectations rather than guaranteed earnings or price performance.
• Negative Sentiment: The Cyclospora outbreak remains a potential reputational and sales risk if additional cases or food-safety concerns emerge, even though the immediate market reaction has faded.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sweetgreen

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp acquired a new stake in shares of Sweetgreen during the first quarter worth approximately $38,000. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sweetgreen in the 1st quarter worth approximately $56,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Sweetgreen during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $90,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Sweetgreen by 548.2% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 13,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 11,364 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alpine Global Management LLC bought a new stake in Sweetgreen during the 4th quarter worth about $92,000. 95.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sweetgreen Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 88.67 and a beta of 2.20. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $6.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.07.

Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.22) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.09). Sweetgreen had a negative return on equity of 32.94% and a net margin of 2.01%.The company had revenue of $192.66 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $194.50 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.20) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Sweetgreen, Inc. will post -1.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Sweetgreen

Sweetgreen, Inc operates a fast-casual restaurant chain focused on fresh, plant-forward meals. Its menu includes salads, grain bowls, warm bowls, sides, beverages and seasonal offerings prepared with a focus on whole ingredients and customizable combinations.

The company serves customers through company-operated restaurants and digital channels, including its website and mobile application for ordering, pickup and delivery. Sweetgreen has also developed automated restaurant technology, including its Infinite Kitchen platform, which is designed to support food preparation and restaurant operations.

Sweetgreen was founded in 2007 in Washington, DC, by Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru.