Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) Stock Price Breaks Below 50 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)’s share price passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $64.54 and traded as low as $63.14. Freshpet shares last traded at $64.39, with a volume of 1,044,676 shares.

Trending Headlines about Freshpet

Here are the key news stories impacting Freshpet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $84 from $77 and maintained an overweight rating, signaling a more bullish view. Wells Fargo price target article
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan lifted its target to $78 from $76 and kept its overweight rating, adding another positive analyst view. JPMorgan price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Freshpet’s Q3 2026 revenue was $317.8 million, up 10.1% year over year and ahead of consensus; EPS of $0.58 also exceeded estimates. Coverage highlighted adjusted gross margin reaching 50% and strong spending by its most valuable customer households. Q3 investor takeaways
• Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its target to $69 from $67 but maintained a Hold rating, reflecting a more cautious view than Wells Fargo and JPMorgan. Deutsche Bank target update
• Neutral Sentiment: Freshpet said executives will participate in upcoming investor conferences, which may give investors more opportunities to hear from management but is not itself a business update. Investor conference announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Q3 coverage also flags rising competition, which could challenge Freshpet’s growth and ability to sustain margin expansion. Q3 analysis on margins, e-commerce and competition

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on FRPT. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Freshpet from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Freshpet from $77.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of Freshpet from $101.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Freshpet from $76.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC began coverage on Freshpet in a report on Thursday, October 1st. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $80.31.

Freshpet Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 5.03 and a current ratio of 5.68. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $64.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.55 and a beta of 1.75.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $317.84 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $312.02 million. Freshpet had a net margin of 10.90% and a return on equity of 6.39%. Freshpet’s revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.86 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Freshpet, Inc. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Freshpet news, Director Walter N. George bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $64.92 per share, with a total value of $64,920.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 51,746 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,359,350.32. The trade was a 1.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO William B. Cyr sold 41,022 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.86, for a total value of $2,988,862.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 267,152 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,464,694.72. This trade represents a 13.31% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 171,636 shares of company stock valued at $12,754,864 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 4.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Freshpet by 35.7% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 67,828 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,904,000 after purchasing an additional 17,838 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 143.8% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 35,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,030,000 after purchasing an additional 20,808 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 36.8% in the 3rd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 12,821 shares of the company’s stock worth $738,000 after purchasing an additional 3,449 shares in the last quarter. Lisanti Capital Growth LLC acquired a new stake in Freshpet during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,041,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Freshpet during the third quarter valued at approximately $950,000.

Freshpet Company Profile

Freshpet, Inc (NASDAQ: FRPT) is a pet food company that develops, manufactures and markets refrigerated, fresh food and treats for dogs and cats. Its products are made with animal proteins, vegetables and other ingredients and are designed to be stored in the refrigerator rather than on a conventional shelf.

The company sells its products under the Freshpet brand and related product lines, including Freshpet Select and Vital. Its offerings include refrigerated meals, rolls, recipes and treats formulated for different pet sizes, ages and dietary needs.