Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Reaches New 12-Month High at $134.30

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $134.30 and last traded at $132.95, with a volume of 65966 shares. The stock had previously closed at $132.36.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $138.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Freshpet from $128.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Benchmark increased their price objective on Freshpet from $125.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. Finally, Truist Financial raised Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $120.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $130.25.

Freshpet Stock Down 0.2 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 4.97 and a quick ratio of 4.09. The company has a market capitalization of $6.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 735.37 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $124.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $107.00.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 6th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $223.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $216.43 million. Freshpet had a return on equity of 0.20% and a net margin of 1.19%. Sell-side analysts predict that Freshpet, Inc. will post 0.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Freshpet

In related news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.13, for a total value of $792,780.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 86,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,368,333.07. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 13,560 shares of company stock valued at $1,701,580 in the last 90 days. 3.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FRPT. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 0.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,666,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $540,650,000 after acquiring an additional 13,709 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Freshpet by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,576,014 shares of the company’s stock valued at $235,588,000 after purchasing an additional 185,210 shares during the last quarter. JANA Partners Management LP purchased a new position in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $214,405,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,118,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,576,000 after purchasing an additional 17,678 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC grew its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC now owns 1,709,572 shares of the company’s stock worth $148,322,000 after buying an additional 47,862 shares in the last quarter.

About Freshpet

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.