Trillium Asset Management LLC Has $3.12 Million Stake in Freshpet, Inc. $FRPT

Trillium Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 45,915 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,802 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Freshpet were worth $3,120,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new position in Freshpet during the first quarter worth about $25,000. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Freshpet during the first quarter worth about $34,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 1,585.0% during the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 674 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 634 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 100.7% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 833 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FRPT has been the topic of several analyst reports. DA Davidson reduced their target price on Freshpet from $101.00 to $83.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $95.00 price target (down from $120.00) on shares of Freshpet in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Freshpet from $100.00 to $75.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Freshpet from $70.00 to $62.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research cut Freshpet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $84.43.

Insider Transactions at Freshpet

In other news, Director Walter N. George bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $52.57 per share, with a total value of $52,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 46,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,445,924.39. This trade represents a 2.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Timothy R. Mclevish bought 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $56.00 per share, for a total transaction of $196,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 35,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,976,240. This trade represents a 11.01% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought 6,008 shares of company stock valued at $332,305 over the last ninety days. 4.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Freshpet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $57.40 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.75, a current ratio of 5.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Freshpet, Inc. has a twelve month low of $46.76 and a twelve month high of $164.07. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $53.08 and its 200-day moving average is $65.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.07, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.76.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $1.43. Freshpet had a return on equity of 5.73% and a net margin of 11.44%.The company had revenue of $288.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $283.73 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.24 earnings per share. Freshpet’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 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.