Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $130.57, but opened at $123.31. Freshpet shares last traded at $115.82, with a volume of 1,018,740 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on FRPT shares. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Freshpet from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Freshpet from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.93.

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 business’s 50 day moving average is $145.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.91. The company has a market cap of $4.87 billion, a PE ratio of 106.65 and a beta of 1.42.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. The company had revenue of $262.71 million for 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, equities research analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Freshpet

In other Freshpet news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $19,260,164.40. The trade was a 3.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FRPT. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Freshpet by 2,770.4% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 775 shares of the company’s stock valued at $100,000 after acquiring an additional 748 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Freshpet by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 127,706 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,466,000 after purchasing an additional 11,494 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Freshpet by 29.7% during the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,316 shares of the company’s stock valued at $317,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares in the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB increased its stake in Freshpet by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 12,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,651,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Freshpet during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $795,000.

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.