Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Shares Down 2.3% – Should You Sell?

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)’s stock price fell 2.3% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $87.11 and last traded at $87.26. 271,104 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 61% from the average session volume of 686,798 shares. The stock had previously closed at $89.32.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FRPT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Freshpet from $155.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 10th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (down from $170.00) on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.67.

Freshpet Price Performance

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $129.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $138.96. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $4.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 92.60 and a beta of 1.58.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued 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 net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. The firm had revenue of $262.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.46 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Freshpet by 21.9% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,049,000 after acquiring an additional 1,272 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth $14,678,000. Forum Financial Management LP bought a new stake in Freshpet in the fourth quarter valued at about $215,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in Freshpet by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 51,129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,573,000 after buying an additional 10,009 shares during the period. Finally, Elequin Capital LP bought a new position in Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000.

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.