Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Stifel Nicolaus Analyst Says

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus raised Freshpet’s price target from $66 to $78 and maintained a “Buy” rating, implying 14.7% upside from the prior close. Analysts collectively rate the stock “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $74.94.
• Freshpet shares fell 4.8% to $68.01 during Thursday trading, while the stock remains below its 52-week high of $86.00. Morgan Stanley also lowered its target to $72 and maintained an “Equal Weight” rating.
• Institutional investor interest increased, including significant stake expansions by Wasatch Advisors, Balyasny Asset Management and AQR Capital Management. However, insider activity was mixed, with recent transactions weighted toward selling, including a sizable sale by CEO William B. Cyr.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by equities researchers at Stifel Nicolaus from $66.00 to $78.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price target points to a potential upside of 14.70% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wall Street Zen raised Freshpet from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Freshpet from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Freshpet from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $72.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Thursday. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Freshpet in a report on Thursday. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Freshpet in a report on Monday, June 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Freshpet presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $74.94.

Freshpet Stock Down 4.8%

NASDAQ:FRPT traded down $3.46 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $68.01. 210,146 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,516,001. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $55.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $62.56. The firm has a market cap of $3.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.33 and a beta of 1.61. Freshpet has a fifty-two week low of $46.45 and a fifty-two week high of $86.00. The company has a current ratio of 6.18, a quick ratio of 5.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Freshpet news, CEO William B. Cyr sold 42,495 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.03, for a total transaction of $2,168,519.85. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 224,459 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,454,142.77. This represents a 15.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Craig D. Steeneck bought 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were bought at an average price of $47.83 per share, for a total transaction of $95,660.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 37,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,793,625. This represents a 5.63% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders purchased 4,211 shares of company stock valued at $215,027 and sold 235,262 shares valued at $11,664,591. Corporate insiders own 4.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in Freshpet by 41.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,839,332 shares of the company's stock valued at $260,921,000 after buying an additional 1,116,217 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in Freshpet by 1,031.9% during the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 931,905 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,781,000 after acquiring an additional 1,031,905 shares during the period. Armistice Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Freshpet by 118.4% during the third quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 1,234,802 shares of the company's stock valued at $68,050,000 after acquiring an additional 669,399 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 122.1% in the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,197,317 shares of the company's stock valued at $72,953,000 after purchasing an additional 658,114 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 278.5% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 859,981 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,444,000 after purchasing an additional 632,756 shares during the last quarter.

Key Stories Impacting Freshpet

Here are the key news stories impacting Freshpet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Freshpet reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $305.6 million, up 15.5% year over year and ahead of the roughly $292.4 million consensus estimate. Earnings per share also surpassed analyst expectations, with reported EPS of $0.39 versus a $0.22 consensus estimate. Freshpet earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Growth and margins improved: Sales growth was driven primarily by higher volume. Adjusted EBITDA rose to $52.2 million from $44.4 million, while adjusted gross margin expanded to 48.6% from 46.9%, helped by lower input costs and improved plant utilization. Freshpet second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 outlook was raised: Management now expects full-year net sales growth of 10% to 12% and adjusted EBITDA of $210 million to $220 million. Freshpet also increased its long-term adjusted gross-margin target to above 49%, reinforcing expectations for continued operating leverage. Freshpet raises 2026 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains constructive: William Blair maintained a Buy rating, citing Freshpet’s category leadership, potential margin expansion and improving cash flow outlook. Freshpet Buy rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an Equal-weight rating but lowered its price target to $72 from $77, implying limited upside at the current trading level. Morgan Stanley Freshpet rating
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity has been weighted toward selling, including significant sales by CEO William B. Cyr. This may add a modest sentiment risk, although it does not offset the immediate earnings-driven positives.

Freshpet Company Profile

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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