Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Stock

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) had its price target lifted by equities research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $161.00 to $163.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 4.98% from the stock’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Freshpet from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $143.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Freshpet from $113.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $156.13.

Freshpet Price Performance

FRPT opened at $155.27 on Tuesday. Freshpet has a 12-month low of $65.81 and a 12-month high of $157.10. The company has a market cap of $7.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 174.46 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a current ratio of 4.50, a quick ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $138.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $129.81.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.10. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.75% and a return on equity of 3.72%. The business had revenue of $253.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $248.36 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.15) earnings per share. Freshpet’s quarterly revenue was up 26.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Freshpet will post 0.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Freshpet news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 2,178 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total value of $304,941.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 86,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,046,320.39. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter worth about $1,433,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. lifted its holdings in Freshpet by 18.5% during the third quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 13,606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,861,000 after purchasing an additional 2,121 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its position in shares of Freshpet by 0.8% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 24,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,401,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the period. Geneva Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Freshpet by 166.2% in the third quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 84,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,519,000 after purchasing an additional 52,584 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the 3rd quarter valued at $77,000.

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.