CHEF
The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. Consumer Staples - Food Distribution Investor Relations →
The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. (CHEF) closed at $58.04 as of 2026-03-20, trading 34.7% above its 200-week moving average of $43.09. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 50.3% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 44, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.9x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.04 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 716 weeks of data, CHEF has crossed below its 200-week moving average 16 times. On average, these episodes lasted 15 weeks. Historically, investors who bought CHEF at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +19.7%.
With a market cap of $2.4 billion, CHEF is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 2.9%. Return on equity stands at 12.7%. The stock trades at 3.9x book value.
Share count has increased 5.4% over three years, indicating dilution.
Over the past 13.8 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CHEF would have grown to $421, compared to $599 for the S&P 500. CHEF has returned 11.0% annualized vs 13.9% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: CHEF vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After CHEF Crosses Below the Line?
Across 16 historical episodes, buying CHEF when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +27.4% after 12 months (median +2.0%), compared to +10.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 62% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +33.1% vs +28.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment CHEF crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
CHEF has crossed below its 200-week MA 16 times with an average 1-year return of +19.7% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2012 | Feb 2013 | 31 | 21.9% | +21.4% | +247.5% |
| Jun 2013 | Jul 2013 | 2 | 1.9% | +17.0% | +242.2% |
| Apr 2014 | Jun 2014 | 6 | 5.9% | +1.1% | +208.1% |
| Jul 2014 | Dec 2014 | 23 | 16.6% | +7.9% | +217.0% |
| Apr 2015 | May 2015 | 1 | 0.4% | +1.2% | +204.8% |
| May 2015 | Jun 2015 | 2 | 3.0% | -16.3% | +209.5% |
| Jul 2015 | Mar 2016 | 33 | 31.4% | -12.8% | +208.4% |
| Apr 2016 | Sep 2017 | 74 | 42.6% | -26.5% | +207.9% |
| Nov 2017 | Nov 2017 | 1 | 3.0% | +108.7% | +245.5% |
| Mar 2020 | Dec 2020 | 42 | 77.7% | +96.6% | +232.0% |
| Jul 2021 | Jul 2021 | 2 | 3.9% | +41.6% | +113.6% |
| Sep 2021 | Sep 2021 | 1 | 1.3% | +26.9% | +111.7% |
| Jan 2022 | Jan 2022 | 1 | 0.8% | +29.6% | +102.4% |
| Mar 2022 | Mar 2022 | 1 | 2.1% | +9.8% | +103.6% |
| Sep 2022 | Oct 2022 | 1 | 2.0% | -26.9% | +100.3% |
| Aug 2023 | Dec 2023 | 17 | 37.8% | +35.1% | +104.0% |
| Average | 15 | — | +19.7% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CHEF below its 200-week moving average?
No. The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. (CHEF) is currently 34.7% above its 200-week moving average of $43.09. It would need to fall to $43.09 to cross below the line.
What is CHEF's 200-week moving average price?
The Chefs' Warehouse Inc.'s 200-week moving average is $43.09 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when CHEF drops below its 200-week moving average?
CHEF has crossed below its 200-week moving average 16 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +19.7%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 15 weeks on average.
Is CHEF a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about CHEF as of 2026-03-20: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 44. Free cash flow yield is 2.9%. Return on equity is 12.7%. Price-to-book is 3.9x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does CHEF compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 13.8 years, $100 invested in CHEF would have grown to $421, compared to $599 for the S&P 500. That's 11.0% annualized vs 13.9% for the index. CHEF has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20