12,407 Shares in Freshpet, Inc. $FRPT Acquired by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 12,407 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $757,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of FRPT. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of Freshpet by 606.8% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 358 shares during the period. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Freshpet in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Freshpet by 55.0% during the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in Freshpet by 143.0% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 503 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in Freshpet by 445.4% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 529 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares during the period.

Freshpet Trading Down 3.0%

NASDAQ FRPT opened at $54.23 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 5.26, a current ratio of 6.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $52.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $62.87. Freshpet, Inc. has a twelve month low of $46.45 and a twelve month high of $86.00. The company has a market capitalization of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.50 and a beta of 1.60.

Insider Activity at Freshpet

In other Freshpet news, CEO William B. Cyr sold 42,495 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.03, for a total transaction of $2,168,519.85. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 224,459 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,454,142.77. This trade represents a 15.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Craig D. Steeneck acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $47.83 per share, with a total value of $95,660.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 37,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,793,625. The trade was a 5.63% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders acquired 4,211 shares of company stock valued at $215,027 and sold 235,262 shares valued at $11,664,591. 4.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on FRPT shares. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Freshpet from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Freshpet from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $66.00 to $68.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Freshpet from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America dropped their price target on Freshpet from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Freshpet in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Freshpet presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.25.

About Freshpet

Freshpet Inc (NASDAQ: FRPT) is a leading pet food company specializing in fresh, refrigerated meals and treats for dogs and cats. The company’s products are formulated with carefully selected, natural ingredients and are designed to offer a higher level of nutrition and freshness than traditional dry or canned pet foods. Freshpet’s offerings include refrigerated rolls, pâtés and snacks, all of which are sold through the refrigerated section of grocery, mass-market and pet specialty stores.

Freshpet’s product portfolio is built around the concept of fresh, minimally processed recipes that do not require preservatives or artificial colors.