Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Shares Up 0.2% – Here’s Why

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) was up 0.2% on Friday . The company traded as high as $93.14 and last traded at $91.22. Approximately 266,737 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 1,138,635 shares. The stock had previously closed at $91.08.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on FRPT shares. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 target price (down previously from $170.00) on shares of Freshpet in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Monday, February 24th. StockNews.com downgraded Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Freshpet from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.47.

Freshpet Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $137.83 and a 200 day moving average of $141.13. The company has a current ratio of 4.72, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market capitalization of $4.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 101.72 and a beta of 1.42.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. The business had revenue of $262.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.46 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the 4th quarter worth $14,678,000. Forum Financial Management LP purchased a new stake in Freshpet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its holdings in Freshpet by 24.3% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 51,129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,573,000 after purchasing an additional 10,009 shares in the last quarter. Elequin Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Freshpet in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Freshpet by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 174,580 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,857,000 after purchasing an additional 13,298 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.