American Century Companies Inc. Acquires 2,633 Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 1.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 147,407 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,633 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.30% of Freshpet worth $19,073,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of FRPT. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Freshpet in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Freshpet by 100.8% in the first 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 purchased a new stake in Freshpet in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Freshpet in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the first quarter valued at about $41,000.

Freshpet Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of FRPT stock opened at $142.19 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $130.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 3.69 and a current ratio of 4.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 789.94 and a beta of 1.39. Freshpet, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.60 and a fifty-two week high of $144.38.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.09) by $0.06. Freshpet had a return on equity of 1.78% and a net margin of 2.86%. The company had revenue of $235.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $230.99 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.35) EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Freshpet, Inc. will post 0.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FRPT has been the subject of several analyst reports. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Freshpet from $143.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Freshpet from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Freshpet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $142.87.

Insider Transactions at Freshpet

In other news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 2,178 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total transaction of $304,941.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 86,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,046,320.39. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.60% of the company’s stock.

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.