Baillie Gifford & Co. Cuts Stake in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

Baillie Gifford & Co. cut its position in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 4.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 48,919 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,412 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned approximately 0.10% of Freshpet worth $7,245,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in FRPT. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Freshpet by 302.0% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter worth $32,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in Freshpet during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in Freshpet during the fourth quarter valued at $59,000.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $161.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $164.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total transaction 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 approximately $19,260,164.40. This represents a 3.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Freshpet Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ FRPT opened at $129.61 on Tuesday. 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 capitalization of $6.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 145.63 and a beta of 1.42. Freshpet, Inc. has a 52 week low of $85.50 and a 52 week high of $164.07. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $147.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.34.

Freshpet Company Profile

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.