Royce & Associates LP Has $1.03 Million Position in Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. $FDP

Royce & Associates LP boosted its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. (NYSE:FDP) by 74.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 29,725 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 12,664 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 0.06% of Fresh Del Monte Produce worth $1,032,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. LSV Asset Management raised its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 20.2% during the third quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,731,248 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,109,000 after acquiring an additional 291,290 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted 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 worth $47,197,000 after purchasing an additional 117,567 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce in the second quarter worth $44,011,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce by 1,647.2% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 596,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,390,000 after purchasing an additional 562,356 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 17.9% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 483,508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,675,000 after purchasing an additional 73,578 shares during the period. 64.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Stock Performance

FDP stock opened at $42.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 22.64 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $38.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.84. Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. has a 1-year low of $29.00 and a 1-year high of $43.58.

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

Fresh Del Monte Produce Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s payout ratio is presently 63.83%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Marissa R. Tenazas sold 1,969 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.28, for a total value of $83,249.32. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 6,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $271,775.84. This trade represents a 23.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Effie D. Silva sold 1,072 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.28, for a total value of $45,324.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 14,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $610,100.40. This represents a 6.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 41,077 shares of company stock valued at $1,627,233. Company insiders own 31.60% of the company’s stock.

Fresh Del Monte Produce News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Fresh Del Monte Produce this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades have lifted sentiment — WallStreetZen and Weiss Ratings moved FDP toward “buy,” which can attract buyer interest and support the share price. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying reported (several asset managers increased or established positions), which supports medium‑term demand/liquidity for the stock. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: EPS beat comfortably ($0.70 vs. $0.28 est.), which is positive for earnings momentum, but revenue missed (~$968.2M vs. ~$1.01B), leaving top‑line growth questions. Watch guidance and next quarter revenue trends. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative coverage (Fresh Del Monte vs. Pilgrim’s Pride) may shift valuation conversations among sector investors but is not an immediate company‑specific catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Clustered insider selling across March 3–4: multiple senior executives (COO, CFO and several SVPs) sold shares in closely timed Form 4 filings. The concentrated nature and size of sales likely created intraday selling pressure and can spook short‑term traders. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock recently went ex‑dividend ($0.30 quarterly, $1.20 annualized, ~2.8–2.9% yield); ex‑dividend and record/ex dates commonly trigger short‑term selling as some holders rotate or capture the payout. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FDP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Fresh Del Monte Produce from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Fresh Del Monte Produce from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

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.