Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) Short Interest Update

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,110,000 shares, a drop of 7.8% from the January 15th total of 4,460,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 579,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 7.1 days.

Freshpet Stock Down 1.3 %

FRPT stock traded down $1.68 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $129.61. The company had a trading volume of 633,801 shares, compared to its average volume of 554,699. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a current ratio of 4.72. The company has a market capitalization of $6.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 145.63 and a beta of 1.42. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $147.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $143.34. Freshpet has a fifty-two week low of $85.50 and a fifty-two week high of $164.07.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on FRPT shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Freshpet from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Freshpet from $126.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. TD Cowen increased their price target on Freshpet from $160.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Freshpet from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Freshpet news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.13, for a total value of $790,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 122,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,351,949.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the 4th quarter valued at about $817,000. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 835,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $115,650,000 after acquiring an additional 37,287 shares in the last quarter. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,465,000. Geneva Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 166.2% during the 3rd quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 84,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,519,000 after acquiring an additional 52,584 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 198.6% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 381,385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,065,000 after acquiring an additional 253,679 shares in the last quarter.

About Freshpet

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.