Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Sets New 1-Year High at $125.50

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $125.50 and last traded at $125.50, with a volume of 56205 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $109.58.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FRPT has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $67.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Freshpet from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Citigroup began coverage on Freshpet in a report on Thursday, February 1st. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $94.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Freshpet from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Freshpet to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Freshpet presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.36.

Freshpet Stock Up 10.4 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $109.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $89.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -170.46 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 4.79 and a quick ratio of 4.08.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 26th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $215.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $204.93 million. Freshpet had a negative net margin of 4.38% and a negative return on equity of 3.56%. Freshpet's revenue was up 29.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.06) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 0.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Freshpet

In other Freshpet news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 7,130 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.53, for a total transaction of $773,818.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 85,056 shares in the company, valued at $9,231,127.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, COO Scott James Morris sold 3,632 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.86, for a total value of $399,011.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 122,380 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,444,666.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 7,130 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.53, for a total transaction of $773,818.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 85,056 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,231,127.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,762 shares of company stock valued at $1,737,280 over the last ninety days. 3.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in FRPT. RiverPark Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Freshpet in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Freshpet by 100.8% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 263 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Freshpet in the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000.

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.