Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

by · The Markets Daily

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT – Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the nineteen analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $80.75.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on FRPT shares. Bank of America upped their price objective on Freshpet from $60.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Freshpet from $70.00 to $62.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $100.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $71.00 target price for the company.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on FRPT

Freshpet Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $61.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 5.52 and a quick ratio of 4.61. The stock has a market cap of $3.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a 50 day moving average of $59.21 and a 200-day moving average of $59.90. Freshpet has a one year low of $46.76 and a one year high of $164.07.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $1.43. The firm had revenue of $288.85 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $283.73 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 11.44% and a return on equity of 5.73%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.24 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Freshpet will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Scott James Morris sold 63,135 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.21, for a total value of $3,485,683.35. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 160,476 shares in the company, valued at $8,859,879.96. This represents a 28.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 4.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FRPT. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 55.0% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in Freshpet by 445.4% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 529 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Freshpet by 1,388.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 506 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 472 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in Freshpet during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000.

Freshpet Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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