Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Raised to Hold at StockNews.com

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Freshpet from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Freshpet from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on Freshpet from $160.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.13.

Freshpet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $153.73 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $140.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $131.55. Freshpet has a 52 week low of $68.14 and a 52 week high of $159.12. The company has a quick ratio of 3.91, a current ratio of 4.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 172.73 and a beta of 1.39.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.10. Freshpet had a return on equity of 3.67% and a net margin of 4.75%. The company had revenue of $253.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $248.36 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.15) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 26.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Freshpet will post 0.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 2,178 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total value of $304,941.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 86,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,046,320.39. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 2,178 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total value of $304,941.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 86,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,046,320.39. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Thembeka Machaba sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.85, for a total transaction of $384,625.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 41.1% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 371 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its stake in shares of Freshpet by 3,670.0% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter worth about $54,000.

Freshpet Company 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.