Insider Trading February 26, 2026

Chefs' Warehouse accounting chief disposes $525,000 in shares amid recent insider moves and strong quarter

Tim McCauley reported a $525,000 sale and subsequent share activity as the stock trades near its 52-week high following solid Q4 2025 results

By Nina Shah CHEF
Chefs' Warehouse accounting chief disposes $525,000 in shares amid recent insider moves and strong quarter
CHEF

Tim McCauley, Chief Accounting Officer of Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHEF), sold 7,500 shares on February 18, 2026, for $525,000 as the stock traded close to its 52-week high. Subsequent filings show additional share purchases, tax-withholdings and a consolidated ownership position of 50,025 shares. The company posted stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter 2025 results, yet the stock moved lower in pre-market trading.

Key Points

  • Tim McCauley sold 7,500 shares on February 18, 2026 at $70.00 per share, totaling $525,000.
  • Subsequent filings show acquisitions of 3,501 and 4,197 shares on February 24, 2026 and 2,335 shares withheld for taxes on February 24 and 25, 2026 valued at $168,977; McCauley now directly owns 50,025 shares.
  • Chefs' Warehouse beat Q4 2025 estimates with EPS of $0.68 versus $0.62 expected and revenue of $1.143 billion versus $1.1 billion expected; Benchmark maintains a Buy rating with an $84.00 target.

Key insider transaction

Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHEF) disclosed that Tim McCauley, the company's Chief Accounting Officer, sold 7,500 shares of common stock on February 18, 2026. The shares were sold at $70.00 each, producing total proceeds of $525,000, according to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Follow-up transactions recorded

The Form 4 filing also shows McCauley engaged in additional share activity later in February. On February 24, 2026, he acquired 3,501 shares and on the same date acquired 4,197 shares. The filing further records that on February 24 and February 25, 2026 a combined total of 2,335 shares were withheld to satisfy tax obligations at prices of $72.42 and $72.12, respectively. The value of the shares withheld for taxes is reported as $168,977.


Resulting ownership stake

After accounting for the sale, the purchases and the tax-withholding, McCauley directly holds 50,025 shares of Chefs' Warehouse common stock.


Share price context and valuation note

The insider sale occurred while Chefs' Warehouse shares were trading near their 52-week high of $73.94. At the time of the reporting, the stock was quoted at $72.09. An InvestingPro analysis cited in disclosure accompanying the filings indicates the shares appear overvalued relative to their Fair Value and references 12 additional ProTips available to investors assessing the $2.93 billion market capitalization company.


Quarterly results and market reaction

Separately, Chefs' Warehouse reported fourth-quarter 2025 results that surpassed analyst expectations. The company posted earnings per share of $0.68, ahead of the consensus forecast of $0.62. Revenue for the quarter was reported at $1.143 billion, exceeding the anticipated $1.1 billion. Despite these positive outcomes, the stock registered a 1.15% decline in pre-market trading following the release.


Analyst stance

Benchmark has retained a Buy rating on Chefs' Warehouse and set a price target of $84.00. Analyst Todd Brooks at Benchmark emphasized that the company’s $1.14 billion in revenue was above the consensus estimate. The combination of stronger-than-expected quarterly results and the insider transactions frames the most recent period for the company.


What the filings show and what they do not

The public filings enumerate the specific transactions, withholding details and current direct ownership for McCauley. They do not provide additional context regarding the motives for the sale or the subsequent purchases beyond the mechanics recorded on the Form 4. Observers must therefore rely on the filing data itself when assessing insider intent.

Risks

  • Insider sales can be interpreted by some market participants as a signal of limited near-term upside; this can affect investor sentiment in the restaurant supply and specialty food distribution sector.
  • Valuation risk cited by InvestingPro - the stock is noted as appearing overvalued relative to its Fair Value, which could pressure the shares if market expectations shift.
  • Market reaction risk - despite stronger-than-expected results, the stock moved down 1.15% in pre-market trading, illustrating that positive fundamentals do not always translate to immediate upward share price movement.

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