HighTower Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 36.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 7,945 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,128 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Freshpet were worth $1,177,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of FRPT. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Freshpet by 302.0% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in Freshpet by 130.9% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Freshpet during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc bought a new position in Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth about $43,000.

Freshpet Stock Down 2.9 %

FRPT stock opened at $86.23 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $122.34 and its 200 day moving average is $136.83. The stock has a market cap of $4.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 91.73 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a current ratio of 4.72, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Freshpet, Inc. has a 1-year low of $80.27 and a 1-year high of $164.07.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. The firm had revenue of $262.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.46 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FRPT has been the topic of several research reports. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Oppenheimer downgraded Freshpet from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (down from $170.00) on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Freshpet from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $150.67.

Freshpet Profile

Freshpet, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and markets natural fresh meals and treats for dogs and cats in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It sells dog food, cat food, and dog treats under the Freshpet brand name; and Dognation and Dog Joy labels through various classes of retail, including grocery, mass, club, pet specialty, and natural, as well as online.