Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s What Happened

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $93.75 and last traded at $96.13, with a volume of 3518466 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $107.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their target price for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price target (down previously from $170.00) on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on Freshpet from $180.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Freshpet from $170.00 to $142.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 21st. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $156.47.

Freshpet Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 3.91, a current ratio of 4.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $4.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.19 and a beta of 1.42. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $139.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $141.80.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.36. The business had revenue of $262.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $275.46 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. Analysts predict that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the 4th quarter valued at $14,678,000. Forum Financial Management LP acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its holdings in Freshpet by 24.3% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 51,129 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,573,000 after purchasing an additional 10,009 shares during the last quarter. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 174,580 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,857,000 after buying an additional 13,298 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.