Capital World Investors Purchases 104,913 Shares of Freshpet, Inc. $FRPT

Capital World Investors increased its position in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 7.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,587,691 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 104,913 shares during the quarter. Capital World Investors’ holdings in Freshpet were worth $96,738,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Freshpet by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,281,833 shares of the company’s stock worth $321,822,000 after purchasing an additional 128,499 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in Freshpet by 41.0% in the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,839,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,921,000 after purchasing an additional 1,116,217 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Freshpet by 30.9% in the fourth quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,952,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $118,982,000 after purchasing an additional 461,444 shares in the last quarter. Armistice Capital LLC grew its stake in Freshpet by 118.4% in the third quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 1,234,802 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,050,000 after purchasing an additional 669,399 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Freshpet by 39.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,196,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,145,000 after acquiring an additional 336,524 shares in the last quarter.

Freshpet Stock Down 0.5%

Freshpet stock opened at $51.15 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 6.18 and a quick ratio of 5.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.68 and a beta of 1.63. Freshpet, Inc. has a 1-year low of $46.45 and a 1-year high of $86.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $57.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.90.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FRPT has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Cowen raised Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Freshpet from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $63.00 target price on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $90.00 target price on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Freshpet has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO William B. Cyr sold 42,495 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.03, for a total value of $2,168,519.85. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 224,459 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,454,142.77. This trade represents a 15.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Craig D. Steeneck acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $47.83 per share, with a total value of $95,660.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 37,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,793,625. This represents a 5.63% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders bought 4,211 shares of company stock valued at $215,027 and sold 235,262 shares valued at $11,664,591. 4.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Freshpet Profile

Freshpet Inc (NASDAQ: FRPT) is a leading pet food company specializing in fresh, refrigerated meals and treats for dogs and cats. The company’s products are formulated with carefully selected, natural ingredients and are designed to offer a higher level of nutrition and freshness than traditional dry or canned pet foods. Freshpet’s offerings include refrigerated rolls, pâtés and snacks, all of which are sold through the refrigerated section of grocery, mass-market and pet specialty stores.

Freshpet’s product portfolio is built around the concept of fresh, minimally processed recipes that do not require preservatives or artificial colors.