WINTON GROUP Ltd Purchases Shares of 55,188 Freshpet, Inc. $FRPT

Key Points

• WINTON GROUP Ltd disclosed a new stake in Freshpet, buying 55,188 shares worth about $3.36 million in the fourth quarter. The position represented roughly 0.11% of the company at the end of the reporting period.
• Freshpet stock was trading near $49.74, close to its 52-week low of $46.45 and well below its 52-week high of $86.00. The company currently has a market cap of about $2.44 billion and a P/E ratio of 13.30.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive, with Freshpet carrying a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $74.88. Recent insider activity included director Craig D. Steeneck buying shares, while CEO William B. Cyr sold a larger block of stock.

WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 55,188 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,363,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd owned about 0.11% of Freshpet at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Optimize Financial Inc lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 10,957 shares of the company's stock valued at $668,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 11,164 shares of the company's stock valued at $680,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 55.0% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 555 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Ossiam lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 81.1% in the 2nd quarter. Ossiam now owns 509 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 143.0% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 503 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares during the last quarter.

Freshpet Price Performance

Shares of FRPT stock opened at $49.74 on Monday. Freshpet, Inc. has a 52-week low of $46.45 and a 52-week high of $86.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 5.26 and a current ratio of 6.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.30 and a beta of 1.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $57.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FRPT has been the subject of several analyst reports. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Freshpet from $98.00 to $101.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Oppenheimer raised Freshpet from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $80.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $66.00 price target on Freshpet in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Freshpet from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Freshpet from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Freshpet presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Freshpet news, Director Craig D. Steeneck purchased 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $47.83 per share, with a total value of $95,660.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 37,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,793,625. The trade was a 5.63% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO William B. Cyr sold 42,495 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.03, for a total value of $2,168,519.85. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 224,459 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,454,142.77. This trade represents a 15.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 4,211 shares of company stock valued at $215,027 and have sold 235,262 shares valued at $11,664,591. 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.

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