Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $161.94 and last traded at $161.84, with a volume of 77166 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $158.36.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on FRPT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Freshpet from $126.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com cut Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Freshpet from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.36.

Freshpet Trading Up 2.1 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $7.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 181.85 and a beta of 1.41. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $150.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $140.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a current ratio of 4.72.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $253.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $248.36 million. Freshpet had a return on equity of 3.67% and a net margin of 4.75%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 26.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.15) EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Freshpet, Inc. will post 0.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Thembeka Machaba sold 2,500 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.85, for a total value of $384,625.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.13, for a total transaction of $790,650.00. Following the sale, the president now owns 122,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,351,949.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,500 shares of company stock worth $1,962,175 in the last quarter. 3.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $805,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Freshpet by 19.1% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 573 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. GLOBALT Investments LLC GA increased its position in Freshpet by 3.2% in the third quarter. GLOBALT Investments LLC GA now owns 3,580 shares of the company’s stock worth $490,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. LVW Advisors LLC increased its position in Freshpet by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. LVW Advisors LLC now owns 2,260 shares of the company’s stock worth $335,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in Freshpet by 23.0% in the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 739 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 138 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.