Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Trading Down 1.5% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) traded down 1.5% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $93.88 and last traded at $94.65. 392,427 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 65% from the average session volume of 1,106,451 shares. The stock had previously closed at $96.13.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on FRPT shares. TD Cowen increased their price objective 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. StockNews.com lowered Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Freshpet from $126.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Freshpet from $161.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Freshpet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.47.

Freshpet Stock Down 1.5 %

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $140.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $142.07. The company has a current ratio of 4.72, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market cap of $4.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 100.69 and a beta of 1.42.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $275.46 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Freshpet

In related news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total transaction of $786,900.00. Following the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FRPT. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Freshpet by 302.0% in the fourth 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 acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 130.9% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000.

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.