Lisanti Capital Growth LLC Sells 55,725 Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

Lisanti Capital Growth LLC trimmed its position in shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 48.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 58,685 shares of the company’s stock after selling 55,725 shares during the quarter. Freshpet comprises about 1.2% of Lisanti Capital Growth LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Lisanti Capital Growth LLC’s holdings in Freshpet were worth $5,092,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. RiverPark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Freshpet by 617.3% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 581 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $59,000. Pathstone Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Freshpet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $206,000. Finally, Wealth Alliance acquired a new position in shares of Freshpet during the 4th quarter worth about $217,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on FRPT. Citigroup assumed coverage on Freshpet in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $94.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Freshpet from $104.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 13th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Freshpet to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $67.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Freshpet from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.36.

Freshpet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FRPT traded up $11.45 on Monday, hitting $121.03. The stock had a trading volume of 2,467,986 shares, compared to its average volume of 620,681. The company has a market capitalization of $5.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -170.46 and a beta of 1.24. Freshpet, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.60 and a twelve month high of $127.25. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $110.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 4.08 and a current ratio of 4.79.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 26th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $215.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $204.93 million. Freshpet had a negative return on equity of 3.56% and a negative net margin of 4.38%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 29.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.06) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Freshpet, Inc. will post 0.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 7,130 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.53, for a total value of $773,818.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 85,056 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,231,127.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Freshpet news, COO Scott James Morris sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.76, for a total transaction of $284,400.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 122,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,921,948.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Stephen Macchiaverna sold 7,130 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.53, for a total value of $773,818.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 85,056 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,231,127.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 15,762 shares of company stock worth $1,737,280. 3.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.