Has SFM's 12% EBITDA Margin Set a New Long-Term Benchmark?

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM reported an 11.8% adjusted EBITDA margin in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a 210-basis-point expansion year over year. The strong improvement prompts a key question: Has SFM established a new baseline for profitability?

The main reason behind this improvement is Sprouts Farmers’ evolving business model. The company continues to optimize its store footprint by focusing on smaller, more efficient boxes while expanding private-label offerings and high-margin products. Sprouts Brand products contributed 24% of total sales in the first quarter, pointing to a profitable product mix. 

Operational efficiency is another reason behind the elevated margin. The ongoing transition to self-distribution for fresh meat and seafood has enhanced product control while reducing supply-chain costs. Nearly 80% of stores now operate within 250 miles of a distribution center, supporting tighter inventory management and vendor coordination. These efforts helped push the gross margin up 129 basis points to 39.6% in the first quarter.

SFM achieved these gains without resorting to aggressive pricing, maintaining both margin discipline and top-line momentum. The plan to open at least 35 stores in 2025 — each expected to generate $13 million in first-year sales and cash-on-cash returns in the low to mid-thirties by year five — shows that SFM can grow its business without hurting profits.

Management’s outlook for EBIT margin expansion supports Sprouts Farmers' EBITDA performance. Undoubtedly, SFM has elevated its financial playbook, and its first-quarter EBITDA margin reflects strategic execution, not a one-off gain.

How Grocery Outlet & Target EBITDA Margins Compare to SFM

When comparing EBITDA margins, Sprouts Farmers leads the way with 11.8%. Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. GO posted an adjusted EBITDA margin of 4.6%, up 80 basis points in the first quarter of 2025. Grocery Outlet’s adjusted EBITDA rose 31.7% to $51.9 million, and it expects full-year adjusted EBITDA between $260 million and $270 million.

Target Corporation TGT also saw solid gains, with first-quarter fiscal 2025 EBITDA increasing 11.9% to $2,285 million. Target’s EBITDA margin expanded 130 basis points year over year to 9.6%, reflecting improved profitability. Though Target trails Sprouts Farmers on EBITDA margin, it remains ahead of Grocery Outlet.

SFM’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

Sprouts Farmers stock has been a standout performer, with shares rallying 30.5% year to date, outpacing the industry’s growth of 17.2%. 
 

From a valuation standpoint, SFM's forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio stands at 1.76, higher than the industry’s ratio of 0.27. SFM carries a Value Score of D.
 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sprouts Farmers’ current financial-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 13.7% and 35.5%, respectively. 
 

Sprouts Farmers Market currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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