Grocery Outlet shares jump nearly 10%, 'treasure hunt' experience has analyst appeal

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. jumped nearly 10% on a trading day when most other stocks were in the red after it reported profits and sales that beat expectations. Moreover, analysts are bullish that the grocery chain's "treasure hunt" experience will translate into prolonged same-store sales growth. "While we would expect the company's comp to ease over time as some of its particularly strong initiatives mature, we believe its differentiated offering and unique value proposition should allow it to continue to take share over time," wrote UBS in a note. Analysts think Grocery Outlet's 2019 same-store sales growth forecast of 3% to 4% "could be conservative." UBS rates Grocery Outlet stock neutral with a $38 price target, up from $35. "Grocery Outlet's industry-leading buying team has strong relationships with some of the top national CPG brands and positions the retailer well to consistently procure compelling deals," wrote Cowen. "We believe Grocery Outlet has historically done a good job of maintaining large price gaps against both discounters and traditional grocery competitors." Cowen rates Grocery Outlet stock outperform with a $48 price target, up from $42. Grocery Outlet stock, which began trading on June 20, is up 22.3% over the past month while the S&P 500 index has fallen 5.3% over the period.

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