Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) to a sell rating in a report published on Saturday morning.

Several other analysts have also commented on FRPT. Truist Financial raised Freshpet from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $120.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, March 11th. Citigroup started coverage on Freshpet in a report on Thursday, February 1st. They issued a neutral rating and a $94.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Freshpet from $104.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Freshpet from $100.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Freshpet from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Freshpet has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $107.36.

Freshpet Trading Up 2.3 %

Shares of FRPT stock traded up $2.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $109.58. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 768,569 shares, compared to its average volume of 453,756. Freshpet has a 52-week low of $54.60 and a 52-week high of $117.76. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $109.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $88.86. The company has a quick ratio of 4.08, a current ratio of 4.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 26th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.22. Freshpet had a negative return on equity of 3.56% and a negative net margin of 4.38%. The firm had revenue of $215.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $204.93 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.06) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 29.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Freshpet will post 0.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Scott James Morris sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.02, for a total value of $280,050.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 122,380 shares in the company, valued at $13,709,007.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, COO Scott James Morris sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.02, for a total value of $280,050.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 122,380 shares in the company, valued at $13,709,007.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 7,130 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.53, for a total value of $773,818.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 85,056 shares in the company, valued at $9,231,127.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,762 shares of company stock worth $1,737,280 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Freshpet by 100.8% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 263 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Freshpet by 0.8% during the third quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 33,662 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,218,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co raised its position in Freshpet by 1.4% during the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 21,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,453,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the period. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Freshpet during the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Amalgamated Bank raised its position in Freshpet by 4.6% during the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 7,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $506,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period.

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.