Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Freshpet Inc (NASDAQ:FRPT) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, Analyst Ratings.Net reports.

According to Zacks, “Freshpet Inc. is a pet food company. The company manufactures and markets natural fresh foods, refrigerated meals, and treats for dogs and cats in the United States and Canada. Freshpet provides meats- based recipes, such as chicken, beef, lamb and salmon; fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, peas and leafy green vegetables, and high-fiber grains, such as brown rice, oats and barley. It sells its products under the Freshpet, Dognation, and Dog Joy brand names. Freshpet Inc. is headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey. “

Shares of Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) traded down 8.38% during trading on Wednesday, reaching $6.56. 383,121 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged. Freshpet has a 52-week low of $5.89 and a 52-week high of $25.92. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $7.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $11.06. The company’s market capitalization is $208.61 million.

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 11th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.02. The company had revenue of $30.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.20 million. The company’s revenue was up 36.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.14) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Freshpet will post ($0.21) earnings per share for the current year.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Freshpet in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. They issued an equal weight rating and a $13.00 price objective for the company. Wedbush assumed coverage on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Monday, November 9th. They set an outperform rating and a $13.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Freshpet from $24.00 to $13.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 12th. Oppenheimer reissued a hold rating on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Friday, January 15th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity reissued a buy rating and set a $11.00 target price (down previously from $21.00) on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Thursday, November 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $12.50.

In other Freshpet news, CEO Richard C. Thompson bought 7,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 17th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $6.22 per share, with a total value of $48,516.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 7,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,516. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Associates Spc Midocean bought 343,820 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $6.34 per share, for a total transaction of $2,179,818.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here.

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Freshpet stock. Quantitative Systematic Strategies bought a new position in shares of Freshpet Inc (NASDAQ:FRPT) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 34,873 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $302,000. Quantitative Systematic Strategies owned approximately 0.10% of Freshpet at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Freshpet, Inc. is a manufacturer of fresh, refrigerated pet food distributed across North America. The Company offers products consisting of dog food, cat food, and dog and cat treats. Its recipes include real, fresh meat and varying combinations of vegetables, leafy greens and anti-oxidant rich fruits, without the use of preservatives, additives or artificial ingredients. All of its products are sold under the Freshpet brand name, with ingredients, packaging and labeling customized by class of retail. It also offers fresh and frozen treats across all classes of retail under the Dognation and Dog Joy labels. The Company’s products are available in different forms, including slice and serve rolls, bagged meals and tubs. Its products are distributed throughout the United States and Canada into retail classes, including Grocery and Mass (NASDAQ:FRPT), as well as Pet specialty and Natural retail.

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