Signaturefd LLC Acquires 1,180 Shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP)

Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) by 244.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,663 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,180 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce were worth $55,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sherman Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 75.0% in the fourth quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 65.0% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 106.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,000 after acquiring an additional 3,858 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ClearAlpha Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the 3rd quarter worth $252,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.83% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fresh Del Monte Produce

In other Fresh Del Monte Produce news, CFO Monica Vicente sold 2,532 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total transaction of $77,023.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,808 shares in the company, valued at $328,779.36. The trade was a 18.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Ziad Nabulsi sold 1,725 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total value of $52,474.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,498 shares in the company, valued at approximately $349,769.16. The trade was a 13.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 9,321 shares of company stock worth $283,545 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 30.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Fresh Del Monte Produce from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Performance

NYSE:FDP opened at $29.23 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $1.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 88.59 and a beta of 0.33. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has a 1 year low of $21.23 and a 1 year high of $35.27. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $30.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $31.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 2.09 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 24th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.16). Fresh Del Monte Produce had a net margin of 0.36% and a return on equity of 5.91%. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.25 EPS. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s revenue for the quarter was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Fresh Del Monte Produce announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, February 24th that allows the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 10.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This is a boost from Fresh Del Monte Produce’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s payout ratio is presently 40.40%.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Profile

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc, through its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fresh and Value-Added Products, Banana, and Other Products and Services.