Dean Capital Management Decreases Stock Holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP)

Dean Capital Management reduced its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP - Free Report) by 65.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 36,603 shares of the company's stock after selling 68,333 shares during the quarter. Dean Capital Management owned about 0.08% of Fresh Del Monte Produce worth $1,216,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of FDP. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,809,451 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,722,000 after purchasing an additional 133,122 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,522,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,105,353 shares of the company's stock worth $36,709,000 after acquiring an additional 44,777 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 22.0% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 950,108 shares of the company's stock worth $31,553,000 after acquiring an additional 171,574 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 21.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 919,612 shares of the company's stock worth $30,540,000 after acquiring an additional 164,120 shares in the last quarter. 64.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Ziad Nabulsi sold 1,725 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total value of $52,474.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,498 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $349,769.16. This represents a 13.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Monica Vicente sold 2,532 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total transaction of $77,023.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $328,779.36. The trade was a 18.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,469 shares of company stock worth $319,190. 31.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Trading Down 0.4%

NYSE:FDP traded down $0.14 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $32.62. 91,443 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 322,797. The company has a fifty day moving average of $31.54 and a 200 day moving average of $31.97. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has a 12 month low of $21.23 and a 12 month high of $35.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 2.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 98.85 and a beta of 0.36.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. Fresh Del Monte Produce had a return on equity of 5.91% and a net margin of 0.36%. Fresh Del Monte Produce's quarterly revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.34 EPS.

Fresh Del Monte Produce declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Monday, February 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $150.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 10.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.68%. Fresh Del Monte Produce's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.22%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Fresh Del Monte Produce from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 25th.

About Fresh Del Monte Produce

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc, through its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fresh and Value-Added Products, Banana, and Other Products and Services.