Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Trading Up 3.1% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) were up 3.1% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $111.62 and last traded at $110.23. Approximately 241,628 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 1,016,800 shares. The stock had previously closed at $106.88.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on FRPT. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Monday, February 24th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $160.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Friday, November 1st. StockNews.com cut shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $161.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Freshpet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $156.47.

Freshpet Trading Down 0.1 %

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $141.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.17. The stock has a market cap of $5.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 113.86 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 3.91, a current ratio of 4.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.36. The company had revenue of $262.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.46 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. Equities analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total value of $786,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 122,380 shares in the company, valued at $19,260,164.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $14,678,000. Forum Financial Management LP purchased a new stake in Freshpet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 24.3% during the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 51,129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,573,000 after purchasing an additional 10,009 shares in the last quarter. Elequin Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 174,580 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,857,000 after purchasing an additional 13,298 shares in the last quarter.

About Freshpet

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.