Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Freshpet, Inc. has received an average rating of "Hold" from fifteen analysts, with one sell recommendation, six holds, and eight buys.
• The average 12-month target price set by brokerages for Freshpet shares is $106.43, while recent analyst price targets fluctuate significantly from $48.00 to $90.00.
• In the last quarter, Freshpet posted earnings of $0.33 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations, but reported revenue of $264.69 million, which was below the consensus estimate.

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Hold" from the fifteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $106.4286.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on FRPT shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $90.00 target price on shares of Freshpet and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $70.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $88.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $65.00 to $48.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $95.00 price target (down previously from $120.00) on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th.

Freshpet Stock Performance

Freshpet stock opened at $49.25 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.81, a quick ratio of 3.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $60.37 and a 200-day moving average of $72.14. The firm has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 73.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.72. Freshpet has a 1-year low of $48.41 and a 1-year high of $164.07.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.21. Freshpet had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 4.82%. The business had revenue of $264.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $269.75 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.03) earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Freshpet has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Freshpet will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Freshpet

In related news, Director Walter N. George bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $52.57 per share, for a total transaction of $52,570.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 46,527 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,445,924.39. The trade was a 2.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jacki Sue Kelley purchased 814 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $56.50 per share, with a total value of $45,991.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $672,745.50. This trade represents a 7.34% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 6,008 shares of company stock worth $332,305. Insiders own 4.43% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 41.0% in the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,839,332 shares of the company's stock worth $260,921,000 after buying an additional 1,116,217 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its position in Freshpet by 41.5% in the 2nd quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,568,954 shares of the company's stock valued at $174,586,000 after purchasing an additional 753,070 shares during the last quarter. Armistice Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 1st quarter worth $59,630,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Freshpet by 278.5% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 859,981 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,444,000 after acquiring an additional 632,756 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Engaged Capital LLC purchased a new position in Freshpet in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,076,000.

Freshpet Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.