Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Trading Down 3.4% – What’s Next?

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) were down 3.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $75.87 and last traded at $72.7730. Approximately 218,025 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 1,289,527 shares. The stock had previously closed at $75.37.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America lifted their target price on Freshpet from $60.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Freshpet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Freshpet from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Freshpet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $62.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $90.00 price target on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $76.47.

Freshpet Stock Down 3.4%

The company has a market capitalization of $3.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.33, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.66. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $72.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.90. The company has a current ratio of 5.54, a quick ratio of 4.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.21. Freshpet had a net margin of 12.63% and a return on equity of 6.93%. The business had revenue of $285.23 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $285.66 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.36 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in Freshpet by 606.8% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. State of Wyoming bought a new position in shares of Freshpet in the second quarter valued at $34,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of Freshpet by 143.0% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 503 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Freshpet by 1,388.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 506 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 472 shares during the last quarter.

Freshpet Company Profile

Freshpet Inc (NASDAQ: FRPT) is a leading pet food company specializing in fresh, refrigerated meals and treats for dogs and cats. The company’s products are formulated with carefully selected, natural ingredients and are designed to offer a higher level of nutrition and freshness than traditional dry or canned pet foods. Freshpet’s offerings include refrigerated rolls, pâtés and snacks, all of which are sold through the refrigerated section of grocery, mass-market and pet specialty stores.

Freshpet’s product portfolio is built around the concept of fresh, minimally processed recipes that do not require preservatives or artificial colors.