Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $119.14.

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Freshpet from $100.00 to $88.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Freshpet from $91.00 to $85.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. TD Cowen cut shares of Freshpet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $96.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Benchmark reduced their target price on Freshpet from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on shares of Freshpet in a report on Monday, June 16th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $65.00 price objective on the stock.

Freshpet Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of FRPT traded up $0.72 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $69.43. 798,254 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 957,846. Freshpet has a 1 year low of $66.75 and a 1 year high of $164.07. The firm's fifty day moving average is $76.67 and its 200-day moving average is $98.81. The company has a current ratio of 4.91, a quick ratio of 3.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 223.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.79.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by ($0.04). Freshpet had a net margin of 1.54% and a return on equity of 3.16%. The company had revenue of $263.25 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $265.57 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.37 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Freshpet will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FRPT. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new stake in Freshpet in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 130.9% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 217 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Freshpet in the first quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Freshpet by 1,585.0% during the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 674 shares of the company's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 634 shares in the last quarter.

About Freshpet

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.