Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) Short Interest Down 7.0% in September

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 423,900 shares, a decline of 7.0% from the September 15th total of 455,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 282,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of FDP stock traded up $0.15 during trading on Thursday, reaching $30.02. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 126,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 249,915. The company has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -58.53 and a beta of 0.41. Fresh Del Monte Produce has a one year low of $21.23 and a one year high of $30.59. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $28.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $25.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.18 billion. Fresh Del Monte Produce had a negative net margin of 0.43% and a positive return on equity of 4.87%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.99 EPS.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -196.08%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Fresh Del Monte Produce news, Director Mary Ann Cloyd sold 1,689 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.20, for a total transaction of $45,940.80. Following the transaction, the director now owns 22,188 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $603,513.60. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Mary Ann Cloyd sold 1,689 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.20, for a total transaction of $45,940.80. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 22,188 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $603,513.60. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Reyes Jorge Pelaez sold 5,417 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.75, for a total transaction of $150,321.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 10,915 shares of company stock valued at $301,603. Insiders own 30.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Fresh Del Monte Produce

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in FDP. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 3.4% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 17,357 shares of the company’s stock worth $513,000 after buying an additional 576 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 27,260 shares of the company’s stock valued at $596,000 after purchasing an additional 594 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 29,493 shares of the company’s stock valued at $644,000 after purchasing an additional 659 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments grew its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 2.8% during the second quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 27,726 shares of the company’s stock worth $606,000 after purchasing an additional 756 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 232.1% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,604 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,121 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.83% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised Fresh Del Monte Produce from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th.

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.