Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) Stock Holdings Raised by Amundi

Amundi raised its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) by 168.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 16,216 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,172 shares during the period. Amundi’s holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce were worth $504,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,522,000. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the 4th quarter valued at about $7,459,000. Ellsworth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,298,000. Dean Investment Associates LLC grew its position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 109.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dean Investment Associates LLC now owns 177,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,232,000 after buying an additional 92,438 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 25.5% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 437,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,938,000 after purchasing an additional 88,900 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.83% of the company’s stock.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Price Performance

NYSE FDP opened at $29.96 on Friday. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has a 52 week low of $21.23 and a 52 week high of $35.27. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 90.80 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $30.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.20.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 24th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.16). Fresh Del Monte Produce had a return on equity of 5.91% and a net margin of 0.36%. The firm had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s revenue for the quarter was up .5% on a year-over-year basis.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. This is a positive change from Fresh Del Monte Produce’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.40%.

Fresh Del Monte Produce announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Monday, February 24th that permits the company to repurchase $150.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 10.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday.

Insider Transactions at Fresh Del Monte Produce

In other news, COO Mohammed Abbas sold 5,064 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total value of $154,046.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 45,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,385,935.20. This represents a 10.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Monica Vicente sold 2,532 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total transaction of $77,023.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $328,779.36. This represents a 18.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 9,321 shares of company stock valued at $283,545. Company insiders own 30.10% of the company’s stock.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Company Profile

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc, through its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fresh and Value-Added Products, Banana, and Other Products and Services.