Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Trading 0.7% Higher – Should You Buy?

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) was up 0.7% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $88.98 and last traded at $88.49. Approximately 159,015 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 1,283,474 shares. The stock had previously closed at $87.84.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report on Monday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Freshpet from $154.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com cut Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 target price (down previously from $170.00) on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Freshpet presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.67.

Freshpet Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $4.15 billion, a PE ratio of 90.52 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 4.72 and a quick ratio of 3.91. The company has a 50-day moving average of $128.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $138.60.

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

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FRPT. M&T Bank Corp raised its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 2,253 shares of the company’s stock worth $333,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC raised its stake in Freshpet by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 2,111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $313,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Freedom Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Freshpet by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $249,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 19.1% during 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 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.