Blueshift Asset Management LLC Invests $484,000 in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

Blueshift Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 5,817 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $484,000.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of FRPT. Riverbridge Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 18.0% during the 1st quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC now owns 1,026,829 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,401,000 after purchasing an additional 156,583 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Freshpet by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 844,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $127,446,000 after buying an additional 9,081 shares in the last quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Freshpet by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 810,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $120,065,000 after buying an additional 39,129 shares during the last quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC boosted its stake in Freshpet by 2.3% during the first quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 509,448 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,371,000 after buying an additional 11,416 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in Freshpet by 14.7% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 408,633 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,523,000 after buying an additional 52,284 shares in the last quarter.

Freshpet Stock Down 3.6%

NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $65.85 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.92, a current ratio of 4.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $73.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $92.29. Freshpet, Inc. has a 52 week low of $64.69 and a 52 week high of $164.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 212.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.77.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 5th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.13 by ($0.04). Freshpet had a net margin of 1.54% and a return on equity of 3.16%. The firm had revenue of $263.25 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $265.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.37 EPS. Freshpet’s quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on FRPT shares. UBS Group started coverage on Freshpet in a report on Monday, June 16th. They set a “sell” rating and a $65.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $90.00 price objective on shares of Freshpet and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Freshpet from $91.00 to $85.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Benchmark dropped their price target on shares of Freshpet from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered shares of Freshpet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $96.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Freshpet presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $119.14.

About Freshpet

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.