RiverPark Advisors LLC Acquires 1,929 Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

RiverPark Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 467.1% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,342 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,929 shares during the period. RiverPark Advisors LLC’s holdings in Freshpet were worth $271,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 100.8% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 263 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the first quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth about $40,000.

Freshpet Trading Down 4.5 %

FRPT traded down $6.13 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $129.43. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,034,848 shares, compared to its average volume of 601,915. Freshpet, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.60 and a twelve month high of $136.35. The company has a quick ratio of 4.09, a current ratio of 4.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $126.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $108.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 719.06 and a beta of 1.36.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 6th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by $0.43. Freshpet had a return on equity of 0.20% and a net margin of 1.19%. The firm had revenue of $223.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.43 million. Analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 0.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Freshpet

In other news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 6,548 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.15, for a total transaction of $786,742.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 86,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,337,585.85. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 13,560 shares of company stock valued at $1,701,580 over the last ninety days. 3.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on FRPT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Freshpet in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Freshpet from $124.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Freshpet from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. DA Davidson upped their target price on Freshpet from $138.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Freshpet from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $130.25.

Freshpet 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.