Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Price Target Raised to $78.00

Key Points

• JPMorgan raised its Freshpet price target to $78 from $76 and maintained an Overweight rating, implying about 20% upside from the share price cited in the report.
• Freshpet reported quarterly EPS of $0.58, above the $0.39 consensus estimate, while revenue of $317.84 million rose 10.1% year over year and exceeded expectations.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive but mixed: MarketBeat reported a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target of $80.31, alongside both Buy and Hold ratings.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $76.00 to $78.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective suggests a potential upside of 20.33% from the company's current price.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on Freshpet from $101.00 to $95.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Freshpet from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Freshpet from $66.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $80.31.

Freshpet Price Performance

Shares of Freshpet stock traded down $6.47 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $64.82. The company had a trading volume of 1,238,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,401,441. The company has a current ratio of 6.05, a quick ratio of 5.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market capitalization of $3.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.06 and a beta of 1.75. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $64.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $63.93. Freshpet has a 1-year low of $46.45 and a 1-year high of $86.00.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $317.84 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $312.02 million. Freshpet had a return on equity of 5.97% and a net margin of 17.28%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.86 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Freshpet will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Walter N. George bought 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $64.92 per share, with a total value of $64,920.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 51,746 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,359,350.32. This represents a 1.97% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO William B. Cyr sold 2,657 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.40, for a total value of $200,337.80. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 49,044 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,697,917.60. This trade represents a 5.14% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 171,636 shares of company stock valued at $12,754,864. 4.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FRPT. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,242,000. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Freshpet by 27.2% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 59,465 shares of the company's stock worth $3,506,000 after purchasing an additional 12,732 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Freshpet during the second quarter worth $6,463,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd boosted its holdings in Freshpet by 456.0% during the second quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 116,816 shares of the company's stock worth $6,906,000 after purchasing an additional 95,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commerce Bank acquired a new position in Freshpet during the second quarter worth $3,030,000.

Key Stories Impacting Freshpet

Here are the key news stories impacting Freshpet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Freshpet posted Q3 EPS of $0.58, ahead of analyst expectations, and revenue of $317.84 million, about 10% higher year over year and above estimates. Q3 financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability improved: gross margin was 45% and adjusted gross margin reached 50%. The company raised and narrowed its 2026 outlook, while management pointed to resilient demand and growth in e-commerce. Freshpet raises outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $84 and maintained an Overweight rating, signaling confidence in further upside. Wells Fargo rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank lifted its target to $69 but kept a Hold rating, indicating a more cautious view. Freshpet also announced upcoming investor-conference appearances, with no new financial guidance in that announcement. Deutsche Bank target change
• Negative Sentiment: Competition in fresh pet food is heating up. This may temper expectations for continued growth, despite Freshpet’s reported demand and margin progress. Q3 deep dive

About Freshpet

Freshpet, Inc NASDAQ: FRPT is a pet food company that develops, manufactures and markets refrigerated, fresh food and treats for dogs and cats. Its products are made with animal proteins, vegetables and other ingredients and are designed to be stored in the refrigerator rather than on a conventional shelf.

The company sells its products under the Freshpet brand and related product lines, including Freshpet Select and Vital. Its offerings include refrigerated meals, rolls, recipes and treats formulated for different pet sizes, ages and dietary needs.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.