Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Raised to “Buy” at Jefferies Financial Group

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) was upgraded by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $150.00 target price on the stock, down from their prior target price of $155.00. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 49.62% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com downgraded Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Freshpet from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Freshpet from $161.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Freshpet has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $161.13.

Freshpet Trading Down 5.8 %

NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $100.26 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $145.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $143.13. Freshpet has a 52 week low of $89.15 and a 52 week high of $164.07. The company has a market capitalization of $4.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 106.65 and a beta of 1.42. 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 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 firm had revenue of $262.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $275.46 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Freshpet will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Freshpet

In other news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total value of $786,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 122,380 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,260,164.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FRPT. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 302.0% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 130.9% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000.

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.