Short Interest in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) Increases By 152.1%

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 647,500 shares, a growth of 152.1% from the December 15th total of 256,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 288,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days. Approximately 1.6% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Down 0.4 %

FDP stock traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $31.41. 209,701 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 244,322. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $33.36 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.48. Fresh Del Monte Produce has a 12-month low of $21.23 and a 12-month high of $35.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 95.18 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.30. Fresh Del Monte Produce had a net margin of 0.36% and a return on equity of 5.91%. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $989.45 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 14th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 14th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.18%. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 303.03%.

Institutional Trading of Fresh Del Monte Produce

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 29.8% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 681,344 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,887,000 after acquiring an additional 156,344 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 17.5% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 636,423 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,906,000 after buying an additional 94,854 shares during the last quarter. Dean Investment Associates LLC grew its position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 109.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dean Investment Associates LLC now owns 177,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,232,000 after buying an additional 92,438 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 25.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 437,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,938,000 after acquiring an additional 88,900 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 5.9% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,060,576 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,329,000 after acquiring an additional 59,521 shares during the last quarter. 64.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Fresh Del Monte Produce

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.