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

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 4,570,000 shares, a decline of 6.2% from the November 15th total of 4,870,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 496,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 9.2 days.

Freshpet Stock Down 0.5 %

FRPT stock opened at $146.38 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 4.72 and a quick ratio of 3.91. Freshpet has a 12 month low of $82.16 and a 12 month high of $160.91. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $146.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $136.53. The company has a market cap of $7.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 164.47 and a beta of 1.41.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $253.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $248.36 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.75% and a return on equity of 3.67%. Freshpet’s quarterly revenue was up 26.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.15) EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Freshpet will post 0.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on FRPT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised 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. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on Freshpet from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Freshpet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $157.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Thembeka Machaba sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.85, for a total transaction of $384,625.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of Freshpet 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 sale, the president now owns 122,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,260,164.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 12,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,962,175 over the last ninety days. 3.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 3,670.0% in the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the second quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000.

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.