Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP) Shares Sold by Trexquant Investment LP

Trexquant Investment LP lessened its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP - Free Report) by 84.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,719 shares of the company's stock after selling 53,591 shares during the quarter. Trexquant Investment LP's holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce were worth $323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sherman Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce during the 4th quarter worth $54,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 244.3% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 1,180 shares in the last quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 75.0% during the 4th quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,750 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 750 shares during the period. KBC Group NV lifted its position in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 65.0% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,550 shares of the company's stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Fresh Del Monte Produce in the 4th quarter worth approximately $174,000. 64.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Marissa R. Tenazas sold 1,148 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.05, for a total value of $35,645.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 3,573 shares of the company's stock, valued at $110,941.65. This trade represents a 24.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Ziad Nabulsi sold 1,725 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.42, for a total transaction of $52,474.50. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,498 shares of the company's stock, valued at $349,769.16. The trade was a 13.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,469 shares of company stock valued at $319,190 over the last 90 days. 30.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Down 0.7 %

FDP traded down $0.23 on Tuesday, reaching $31.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 275,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 303,520. 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 Inc. has a 1 year low of $21.23 and a 1 year high of $35.27. The business's 50 day moving average is $30.37 and its 200 day moving average is $31.38. The stock has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 94.71 and a beta of 0.36.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 24th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.16). Fresh Del Monte Produce had a net margin of 0.36% and a return on equity of 5.91%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.25 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis.

Fresh Del Monte Produce declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Monday, February 24th that allows the company to repurchase $150.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 10.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This is a boost from Fresh Del Monte Produce's previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.84%. Fresh Del Monte Produce's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th.

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.