Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) Short Interest Update

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 385,700 shares, an increase of 11.0% from the October 15th total of 347,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 261,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Fresh Del Monte Produce

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FDP. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 232.1% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,604 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,121 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the first quarter valued at $48,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the first quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the second quarter valued at about $68,000. 64.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised Fresh Del Monte Produce from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce stock traded up $0.28 on Monday, hitting $34.06. 121,795 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 251,763. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $30.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.63 billion, a PE ratio of 102.37 and a beta of 0.41. Fresh Del Monte Produce has a one year low of $21.23 and a one year high of $35.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 2.09 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company 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 business earned $0.35 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 14th. Fresh Del Monte Produce's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 303.04%.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Company Profile

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.