Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.19 EPS

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.19, Zacks reports. Freshpet had a return on equity of 5.97% and a net margin of 17.28%. Freshpet’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.86 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Freshpet’s conference call:

• Freshpet raised its 2026 outlook, now expecting 12%–13% sales growth and adjusted EBITDA of $215 million–$220 million. Third-quarter sales rose 10%, adjusted EBITDA increased 18%, and adjusted gross margin reached 50%.
• Growth was broad-based: MVP household penetration rose 8%, e-commerce sales increased 35%, and distribution points grew 14%. Management said its products are holding up against new competitors, while noting that customer order timing caused reported sales growth to trail measured consumption growth.
• Improved manufacturing performance unlocked more than $100 million of capacity within the existing footprint, allowing Freshpet to lower its 2026 capital-spending outlook to $125 million–$150 million. The company expects its new bag technology to contribute substantially to a 100-basis-point adjusted gross-margin improvement in 2027.
• Higher logistics costs, along with structural inflation in ingredients and packaging, are pressuring profitability; management expects logistics costs to remain elevated and plans selective price increases in 2027. Planned maintenance downtime, holiday-related production interruptions, and additional staffing are expected to reduce fourth-quarter adjusted gross margin sequentially, potentially to below the prior-year level.

Freshpet Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Freshpet stock traded up $0.40 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $70.00. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,144,813 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,395,661. Freshpet has a 1-year low of $46.45 and a 1-year high of $86.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $64.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $63.89. The company has a quick ratio of 5.03, a current ratio of 6.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market cap of $3.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.75.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on FRPT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $67.00 price objective on Freshpet in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Freshpet from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Freshpet from $78.00 to $76.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 26th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Freshpet from $101.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Freshpet in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.62.

Insider Activity

In other Freshpet news, Director Walter N. George purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $64.92 per share, with a total value of $64,920.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 51,746 shares in the company, valued at $3,359,350.32. The trade was a 1.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO William B. Cyr sold 41,022 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.86, for a total value of $2,988,862.92. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 267,152 shares in the company, valued at $19,464,694.72. The trade was a 13.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 171,636 shares of company stock worth $12,754,864 over the last ninety days. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Freshpet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Freshpet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Freshpet earned $0.58 per share, beating analyst estimates of $0.35–$0.39. Net sales grew 10% year over year, while gross margin reached 45% and adjusted gross margin was 50%. Freshpet Q3 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised and narrowed its 2026 outlook, citing resilient demand. The improved guidance, alongside better margins, is a potential support for investor expectations. Freshpet raises outlook amid competition
• Negative Sentiment: Competition is heating up, a risk to future growth and margins. Freshpet is emphasizing its “Super-Serve MVPs” strategy to compete, while management said demand remains resilient. Freshpet raises outlook amid competition

About Freshpet

Freshpet, Inc (NASDAQ: FRPT) is a pet food company that develops, manufactures and markets refrigerated, fresh food and treats for dogs and cats. Its products are made with animal proteins, vegetables and other ingredients and are designed to be stored in the refrigerator rather than on a conventional shelf.

The company sells its products under the Freshpet brand and related product lines, including Freshpet Select and Vital. Its offerings include refrigerated meals, rolls, recipes and treats formulated for different pet sizes, ages and dietary needs.