Empowered Funds LLC Acquires Shares of 42,934 Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 42,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,359,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Freshpet as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 302.0% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Freshpet during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Freshpet during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in Freshpet in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000.

Freshpet Stock Down 11.4 %

NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $130.35 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $6.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 146.46 and a beta of 1.42. Freshpet, Inc. has a twelve month low of $84.02 and a twelve month high of $164.07. The company has a current ratio of 4.72, a quick ratio of 3.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $150.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.98.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FRPT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 target price on shares of Freshpet in a report on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Freshpet from $126.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.36.

Insider Activity at Freshpet

In other news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total transaction of $786,900.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 122,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,260,164.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Freshpet 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.