Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP) SVP Effie Silva Sells 285 Shares

Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. (NYSE:FDP) SVP Effie Silva sold 285 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.50, for a total value of $12,112.50. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $473,152.50. This trade represents a 2.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Trading Down 0.2%

Fresh Del Monte Produce stock traded down $0.09 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $42.57. 98,100 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 235,647. Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. has a 52 week low of $29.00 and a 52 week high of $43.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 22.64 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $38.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.75.

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Fresh Del Monte Produce

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 41.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 1,915,156 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,494,000 after acquiring an additional 557,638 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its stake in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,741,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,049,000 after purchasing an additional 10,246 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 9.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,359,355 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,197,000 after purchasing an additional 117,567 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,336,786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,630,000 after purchasing an additional 9,933 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 19.2% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 931,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,347,000 after purchasing an additional 150,092 shares in the last quarter. 64.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Fresh Del Monte Produce

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.