AQR Capital Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in Freshpet, Inc. $FRPT

Key Points

• AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Freshpet, Inc. by 68.8%, now owning a total of 227,225 shares valued at approximately $18.8 million.
• Multiple institutional investors, including **Amalgamated Bank** and **Deutsche Bank AG**, made significant adjustments to their positions, reflecting growing interest in Freshpet during the first quarter.
• Freshpet reported a **12.5% increase** in revenue year-over-year, with earnings per share of **$0.33**, surpassing analyst expectations, although revenue fell short of estimates at **$264.69 million** for the quarter.

AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Free Report) by 68.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 227,225 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 92,612 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned about 0.47% of Freshpet worth $18,817,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vident Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Freshpet by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 2,111 shares of the company's stock worth $313,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Elequin Capital LP purchased a new position in Freshpet during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Tidal Investments LLC increased its holdings in Freshpet by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 2,174 shares of the company's stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the period. Hardy Reed LLC increased its holdings in Freshpet by 10.4% during the 1st quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 2,414 shares of the company's stock worth $201,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Finally, Xponance Inc. increased its holdings in Freshpet by 7.1% during the 1st quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,611 shares of the company's stock worth $300,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the period.

Insider Buying and Selling at Freshpet

In other Freshpet news, Director Timothy R. Mclevish bought 3,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 purchase, the director directly owned 35,290 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,240. This represents a 11.01% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacki Sue Kelley bought 814 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $56.50 per share, for a total transaction of $45,991.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 11,907 shares in the company, valued at $672,745.50. The trade was a 7.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 4,630 shares of company stock worth $259,656. 4.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Freshpet Stock Down 4.3%

FRPT stock traded down $2.35 on Monday, hitting $52.47. 1,585,696 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,429,650. Freshpet, Inc. has a 12-month low of $52.16 and a 12-month high of $164.07. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $63.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 3.75 and a current ratio of 4.81. The stock has a market cap of $2.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.72.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.21. Freshpet had a return on equity of 4.82% and a net margin of 3.23%.The firm had revenue of $264.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $269.75 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.03) EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Freshpet has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on FRPT. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Freshpet from $100.00 to $88.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $95.00 price objective (down from $120.00) on shares of Freshpet in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Freshpet from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Freshpet in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $70.00 price target on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson set a $101.00 price target on Freshpet in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Freshpet presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $108.07.

Freshpet 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.