Insider Selling: Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) EVP Sells 2,178 Shares of Stock

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 2,178 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total transaction of $304,941.78. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 86,039 shares in the company, valued at $12,046,320.39. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Freshpet Price Performance

Shares of FRPT opened at $137.62 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.67 billion, a PE ratio of 764.60 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 4.50 and a quick ratio of 3.69. The company’s 50-day moving average is $128.75 and its 200-day moving average is $121.77. Freshpet, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.60 and a fifty-two week high of $143.06.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by $0.06. Freshpet had a net margin of 2.86% and a return on equity of 1.78%. The firm had revenue of $235.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $230.99 million. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.35) earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Freshpet, Inc. will post 0.7 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Freshpet in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 100.8% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 263 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in Freshpet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FRPT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Freshpet from $113.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of Freshpet in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Citigroup upped their target price on Freshpet from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Freshpet from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Freshpet in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Freshpet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $142.87.

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.