Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twelve have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $142.87.

Several research firms have weighed in on FRPT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $113.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $150.00 target price on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $143.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th.

Insider Activity at Freshpet

In related news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 2,178 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total value of $304,941.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 86,039 shares in the company, valued at $12,046,320.39. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CWM LLC grew its position in Freshpet by 828.4% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,605 shares of the company’s stock valued at $630,000 after buying an additional 4,109 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Freshpet by 29.6% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 481 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the 2nd quarter valued at about $52,000. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in Freshpet by 275.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Impact Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the 2nd quarter valued at about $645,000.

Freshpet Trading Up 0.4 %

FRPT opened at $139.65 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.76 billion, a PE ratio of 775.83 and a beta of 1.39. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $135.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $126.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 4.50 and a quick ratio of 3.69. Freshpet has a 12-month low of $54.60 and a 12-month high of $144.38.

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

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.