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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 423,900 shares, a decrease of 7.0% from the September 15th total of 455,600 shares. Approximately 1.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 282,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSE FDP traded up $0.18 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $30.05. 202,407 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 250,291. Fresh Del Monte Produce has a 52-week low of $21.23 and a 52-week high of $30.59. The firm has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of -58.53 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $28.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $25.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Fresh Del Monte Produce

In other Fresh Del Monte Produce news, VP Alexandre Apparecido sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.56, for a total transaction of $41,340.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,139 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,390.84. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, VP Alexandre Apparecido sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.56, for a total value of $41,340.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,139 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,390.84. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Monica Vicente sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.44, for a total transaction of $49,392.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 3,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $95,107.04. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 10,915 shares of company stock valued at $301,603 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 30.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new position in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the second quarter worth about $28,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 232.1% in 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. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the first quarter worth about $48,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the first quarter worth about $49,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the second quarter worth about $68,000. 64.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of 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.