B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Takes Position in Freshpet, Inc. $FRPT

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired 34,919 Freshpet shares worth approximately $2.06 million in the second quarter, giving it a 0.07% stake. Several other institutional investors also initiated or increased positions.
• Freshpet reported quarterly EPS of $0.39, beating estimates of $0.22, while revenue rose 15.4% year over year to $305.59 million, above expectations.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $75.31; however, CEO William B. Cyr sold 41,022 shares for nearly $3.0 million.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 34,919 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,064,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG owned 0.07% of Freshpet at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in shares of Freshpet by 606.8% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 417 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the second quarter worth $34,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 472 shares during the last quarter.

Freshpet Stock Performance

Shares of FRPT opened at $73.96 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.63 billion, a PE ratio of 19.46 and a beta of 1.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $60.58 and a 200-day moving average of $62.78. Freshpet, Inc. has a one year low of $46.45 and a one year high of $86.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 6.05 and a quick ratio of 5.03.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.17. Freshpet had a net margin of 17.28% and a return on equity of 5.97%. The company had revenue of $305.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $292.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. Freshpet's quarterly revenue was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on FRPT shares. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Freshpet from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Freshpet from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 2nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Freshpet from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Freshpet from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Freshpet from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $75.31.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Freshpet news, CEO William B. Cyr sold 41,022 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.86, for a total value of $2,988,862.92. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 267,152 shares in the company, valued at $19,464,694.72. This represents a 13.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Freshpet

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FRPT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Free Report).

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source