Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Stifel Nicolaus Analyst Says

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) had its price target raised by Stifel Nicolaus from $155.00 to $165.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on FRPT. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Citigroup increased their price target on Freshpet from $124.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Freshpet from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on Freshpet from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Freshpet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $156.13.

Freshpet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FRPT opened at $156.45 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 175.79 and a beta of 1.39. The business’s 50 day moving average is $139.37 and its 200-day moving average is $130.50. The company has a current ratio of 4.72, a quick ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Freshpet has a 1-year low of $65.85 and a 1-year high of $159.12.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $253.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $248.36 million. Freshpet had a return on equity of 3.67% and a net margin of 4.75%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 26.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.15) EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Freshpet will post 0.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Freshpet

In related 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 86,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,046,320.39. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the third quarter worth about $29,000. ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in Freshpet during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in Freshpet during the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Freshpet by 41.1% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 371 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its stake in shares of Freshpet by 3,670.0% during the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 367 shares during the last quarter.

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.