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

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) shares traded down 2.3% on Tuesday . The stock 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on FRPT. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Oppenheimer downgraded Freshpet from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Freshpet from $154.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.67.

Freshpet Trading Down 2.9 %

The company has a market cap of $4.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 92.60 and a beta of 1.58. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $129.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $138.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a current ratio of 4.72.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Freshpet by 302.0% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Freshpet by 130.9% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the fourth 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.