Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Sets New 12-Month Low - Here's What Happened

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $72.86 and last traded at $73.26, with a volume of 1104758 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $77.57.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $142.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Oppenheimer downgraded Freshpet from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Freshpet from $142.00 to $110.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Freshpet from $102.00 to $91.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Benchmark lowered their target price on Freshpet from $195.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $139.47.

Freshpet Stock Down 1.5 %

The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $88.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $127.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 4.72 and a quick ratio of 3.91. The company has a market capitalization of $3.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 78.73 and a beta of 1.80.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36. The firm had revenue of $262.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $275.46 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 3.92%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Freshpet

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,652,556 shares of the company's stock valued at $689,090,000 after buying an additional 46,844 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 2,881,855 shares of the company's stock valued at $430,809,000 after purchasing an additional 110,478 shares during the last quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Freshpet by 18.0% in the 1st quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC now owns 1,026,829 shares of the company's stock valued at $85,401,000 after purchasing an additional 156,583 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Freshpet by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 844,744 shares of the company's stock worth $127,446,000 after acquiring an additional 9,081 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Driehaus Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Freshpet by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 810,646 shares of the company's stock valued at $120,065,000 after purchasing an additional 39,129 shares during the period.

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.