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

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Up 1.4 %

NYSE FDP traded up $0.43 on Tuesday, hitting $31.52. 194,762 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 248,658. Fresh Del Monte Produce has a fifty-two week low of $21.23 and a fifty-two week high of $35.27. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $33.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The company has a market cap of $1.51 billion, a PE ratio of 95.52 and a beta of 0.41.

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 14th. Fresh Del Monte Produce's payout ratio is 303.03%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Fresh Del Monte Produce

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 19,403 shares of the company's stock worth $644,000 after buying an additional 486 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the fourth quarter valued at $284,000. Diversified Trust Co acquired a new position in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the fourth quarter valued at $469,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the fourth quarter worth about $625,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 106.5% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,482 shares of the company's stock worth $248,000 after purchasing an additional 3,858 shares during the last quarter. 64.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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