Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Shares Down 2.5% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) traded down 2.5% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $94.00 and last traded at $93.63. 116,196 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 1,127,460 shares. The stock had previously closed at $96.06.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (down previously from $170.00) on shares of Freshpet in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 21st. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $180.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Freshpet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.47.

Freshpet Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $137.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $141.13. The company has a quick ratio of 3.91, a current ratio of 4.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 103.04 and a beta of 1.42.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. The company had revenue of $262.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.46 million. Analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in Freshpet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $14,678,000. Forum Financial Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 24.3% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 51,129 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,573,000 after acquiring an additional 10,009 shares during the last quarter. Elequin Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 174,580 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,857,000 after acquiring an additional 13,298 shares during the last quarter.

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.