Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Freshpet received a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from 18 analysts, with an average 12-month price target of $74.25.
• Recent analyst actions were mixed but generally positive, including upgrades from DA Davidson to strong-buy and JPMorgan from neutral to overweight, while Deutsche Bank and Bank of America kept more cautious views.
• CEO William B. Cyr sold 42,907 shares in May, and insider activity over the past three months showed more selling than buying; meanwhile, the stock was trading around $57.71, below the analysts’ average target.

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation, ten have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $74.25.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on FRPT. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Freshpet in a report on Monday, June 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $63.00 price objective on shares of Freshpet in a report on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson raised Freshpet to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Freshpet from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the company from $66.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on Freshpet from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st.

Insider Buying and Selling at Freshpet

In related news, CEO William B. Cyr sold 42,907 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.92, for a total value of $2,056,103.44. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 204,585 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,803,713.20. This trade represents a 17.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders have bought 4,211 shares of company stock worth $215,027 and have sold 235,262 shares worth $11,664,591. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,281,833 shares of the company's stock valued at $321,822,000 after buying an additional 128,499 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 30.9% in the fourth quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,952,767 shares of the company's stock valued at $118,982,000 after purchasing an additional 461,444 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc increased its position in Freshpet by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 140,000 shares of the company's stock worth $8,530,000 after purchasing an additional 70,000 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its position in Freshpet by 107.4% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 193,584 shares of the company's stock worth $11,795,000 after acquiring an additional 100,260 shares during the period. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth $1,722,000.

Freshpet Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of Freshpet stock opened at $57.71 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $53.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.66. The company has a market cap of $2.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.43 and a beta of 1.60. Freshpet has a fifty-two week low of $46.45 and a fifty-two 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.

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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