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

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price target (down from $170.00) on shares of Freshpet in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com lowered Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Freshpet from $170.00 to $142.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.67.

Freshpet Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 4.72, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $127.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $138.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 91.17 and a beta of 1.58.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. The company had revenue of $262.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $275.46 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. On average, analysts forecast that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Freshpet

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FRPT. Elequin Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Freshpet in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 302.0% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in shares of Freshpet by 130.9% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 4th quarter worth approximately $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.