Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Buys New Shares in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 10,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $350,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in FDP. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 133,122 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in 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 valued at $36,709,000 after acquiring an additional 44,777 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 22.0% during the 4th 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 during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 21.7% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 919,612 shares of the company's stock worth $30,540,000 after acquiring an additional 164,120 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 776,161 shares of the company's stock worth $25,782,000 after purchasing an additional 3,045 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.83% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fresh Del Monte Produce

In other 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 3,573 shares in the company, valued at approximately $110,941.65. This represents a 24.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 30.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Price Performance

NYSE:FDP traded down $0.32 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $32.45. 408,022 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 334,547. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has a 52 week low of $21.23 and a 52 week high of $35.69. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $32.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.13. 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 firm has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 98.34 and a beta of 0.41.

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

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. Fresh Del Monte Produce's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of 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.