UBS Group Lowers Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Price Target to $48.00

Key Points

• UBS Group has reduced its price target for Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) from $65.00 to $48.00, indicating a potential downside of 13.15% from the stock's previous close.
• Multiple analysts currently rate Freshpet stock as "Hold" with an average target price of $108.07, while UBS has assigned it a "sell" rating.
• Freshpet's recent quarterly earnings showed a significant EPS increase to $0.33, surpassing the consensus estimate, although reported revenues fell slightly short of analyst expectations.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Free Report) had its target price lowered by UBS Group from $65.00 to $48.00 in a research report report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a sell rating on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus set a $90.00 price target on Freshpet and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Freshpet from $100.00 to $88.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Freshpet in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $70.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson set a $101.00 price target on Freshpet in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, TD Cowen cut Freshpet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $96.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Freshpet presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $108.07.

Freshpet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:FRPT traded up $1.62 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $54.82. 1,354,739 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,420,622. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $63.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $75.03. Freshpet has a 12 month low of $52.27 and a 12 month high of $164.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 81.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.72. The company has a current ratio of 4.81, a quick ratio of 3.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.21. Freshpet had a return on equity of 4.82% and a net margin of 3.23%.The firm had revenue of $264.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $269.75 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.03) EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Freshpet has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Freshpet will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Freshpet

In other news, Director Jacki Sue Kelley purchased 814 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $56.50 per share, with a total value of $45,991.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 11,907 shares of the company's stock, valued at $672,745.50. The trade was a 7.34% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Timothy R. Mclevish acquired 3,500 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $56.00 per share, for a total transaction of $196,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 35,290 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,976,240. The trade was a 11.01% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have bought 4,630 shares of company stock worth $259,656 in the last ninety days. 4.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Freshpet by 12.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,223,695 shares of the company's stock worth $434,455,000 after buying an additional 571,139 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its stake in Freshpet by 41.0% during the 2nd 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 during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Freshpet by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,616,205 shares of the company's stock worth $217,590,000 after buying an additional 196,882 shares during the period. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Freshpet by 41.5% during the 2nd quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,568,954 shares of the company's stock worth $174,586,000 after buying an additional 753,070 shares during the period. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Freshpet by 20.6% during the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,527,068 shares of the company's stock worth $103,780,000 after buying an additional 260,868 shares during the period.

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.