Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) CFO Monica Vicente Sells 349 Shares

Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. (NYSE:FDP) CFO Monica Vicente sold 349 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.50, for a total transaction of $14,832.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $737,332.50. This trade represents a 1.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE FDP traded up $0.05 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $42.63. 228,915 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 239,148. Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. has a 12-month low of $29.00 and a 12-month high of $43.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.67 and a beta of 0.28. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $38.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.71.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.42. The firm had revenue of $968.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. Fresh Del Monte Produce had a net margin of 2.10% and a return on equity of 7.63%. The company’s revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.26 EPS.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Fresh Del Monte Produce from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Fresh Del Monte Produce currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Fresh Del Monte Produce

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 26.1% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 18,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $670,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 9,982 shares of the company’s stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares in the last quarter. Outfitters Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Outfitters Financial LLC now owns 33,145 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,181,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 71,447 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,546,000 after buying an additional 514 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.83% of the company’s stock.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Company Profile

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables worldwide. The company offers a wide range of products including bananas, pineapples, melons, grapes and avocados, along with value-added items such as fruit salads, vegetable trays and snack packs under the Del Monte® brand.

Founded in 1989 as a spin-off from Del Monte, Fresh Del Monte has developed a global supply chain that spans production farms, ripening facilities and packaging centers across Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.