D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. Sells 14,108 Shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP)

D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. decreased its position in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP - Free Report) by 19.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 58,565 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,108 shares during the quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. owned about 0.12% of Fresh Del Monte Produce worth $1,945,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 795.0% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,083 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 962 shares during the period. Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce in the fourth quarter valued at $54,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 244.3% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 1,180 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HHM Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 75.0% during the fourth quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,750 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.83% of the company's stock.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of NYSE FDP traded up $0.61 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $34.43. 322,397 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 330,091. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has a 1 year low of $21.23 and a 1 year high of $35.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 104.34 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The business has a 50 day moving average of $32.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.10.

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Monday, February 24th that permits the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 10.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. Fresh Del Monte Produce's payout ratio is 39.22%.

Insider Activity at Fresh Del Monte Produce

In other Fresh Del Monte Produce news, SVP Marissa R. Tenazas sold 1,148 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.05, for a total value of $35,645.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 3,573 shares of the company's stock, valued at $110,941.65. This represents a 24.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Monica Vicente sold 2,532 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total value of $77,023.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,808 shares in the company, 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,469 shares of company stock valued at $319,190. Company insiders own 31.60% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Company Profile

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.