Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Share Price Breaks Below 50-Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Freshpet shares slipped below their 50-day moving average of $64.54, touching $63.14 before last trading at $64.39.
• Q3 revenue rose 10.1% year over year to $317.8 million, beating estimates, while EPS of $0.58 exceeded the $0.39 consensus. Adjusted gross margin reached 50%, though coverage cited rising competition as a risk.
• Analyst views were generally positive: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $84 and JPMorgan to $78, both retaining Overweight ratings; MarketBeat’s consensus rating is Moderate Buy with an $80.31 average target.

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $64.54 and traded as low as $63.14. Freshpet shares last traded at $64.39, with a volume of 1,044,676 shares traded.

Trending Headlines about Freshpet

Here are the key news stories impacting Freshpet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $84 from $77 and maintained an overweight rating, signaling a more bullish view. Wells Fargo price target article
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan lifted its target to $78 from $76 and kept its overweight rating, adding another positive analyst view. JPMorgan price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Freshpet’s Q3 2026 revenue was $317.8 million, up 10.1% year over year and ahead of consensus; EPS of $0.58 also exceeded estimates. Coverage highlighted adjusted gross margin reaching 50% and strong spending by its most valuable customer households. Q3 investor takeaways
• Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its target to $69 from $67 but maintained a Hold rating, reflecting a more cautious view than Wells Fargo and JPMorgan. Deutsche Bank target update
• Neutral Sentiment: Freshpet said executives will participate in upcoming investor conferences, which may give investors more opportunities to hear from management but is not itself a business update. Investor conference announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Q3 coverage also flags rising competition, which could challenge Freshpet’s growth and ability to sustain margin expansion. Q3 analysis on margins, e-commerce and competition

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on FRPT shares. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Freshpet in a report on Monday, October 5th. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $77.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. DA Davidson cut their price target on Freshpet from $101.00 to $95.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Freshpet from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Freshpet has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $80.31.

Freshpet Stock Down 0.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 6.05 and a quick ratio of 5.03. The firm has a market cap of $3.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.55 and a beta of 1.75. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $64.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.92.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.19. Freshpet had a net margin of 17.28% and a return on equity of 5.97%. The firm had revenue of $317.84 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $312.02 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.86 earnings per share. Freshpet's quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO William B. Cyr sold 41,022 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.86, for a total value of $2,988,862.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 267,152 shares in the company, valued at $19,464,694.72. This trade represents a 13.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Walter N. George bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $64.92 per share, with a total value of $64,920.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 51,746 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,359,350.32. This trade represents a 1.97% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 171,636 shares of company stock valued at $12,754,864 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 4.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Freshpet during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in Freshpet during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Legacies Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the second quarter worth $61,000.

About Freshpet

Freshpet, Inc NASDAQ: FRPT is a pet food company that develops, manufactures and markets refrigerated, fresh food and treats for dogs and cats. Its products are made with animal proteins, vegetables and other ingredients and are designed to be stored in the refrigerator rather than on a conventional shelf.

The company sells its products under the Freshpet brand and related product lines, including Freshpet Select and Vital. Its offerings include refrigerated meals, rolls, recipes and treats formulated for different pet sizes, ages and dietary needs.

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