WCM Investment Management LLC Purchases 110,478 Shares of Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT)

WCM Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,881,855 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 110,478 shares during the quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Freshpet worth $430,809,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Freshpet by 4.7% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 835,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $115,650,000 after purchasing an additional 37,287 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 54.4% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 439,681 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,135,000 after purchasing an additional 154,909 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 391.5% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 234,626 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,090,000 after purchasing an additional 186,889 shares during the last quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 38.2% in the 3rd quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 199,592 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,298,000 after purchasing an additional 55,200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 127,706 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,466,000 after purchasing an additional 11,494 shares during the last quarter.

Insider Transactions at Freshpet

In other news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total transaction of $786,900.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 122,380 shares in the company, valued at $19,260,164.40. The trade was a 3.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Freshpet Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of FRPT opened at $147.10 on Friday. Freshpet, Inc. has a 52-week low of $84.02 and a 52-week high of $164.07. The company has a quick ratio of 3.91, a current ratio of 4.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $150.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.54. The stock has a market cap of $7.14 billion, a PE ratio of 165.28 and a beta of 1.42.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on FRPT. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of Freshpet in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Freshpet from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Freshpet from $160.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.36.

Freshpet Company Profile

Freshpet, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and markets natural fresh meals and treats for dogs and cats in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It sells dog food, cat food, and dog treats under the Freshpet brand name; and Dognation and Dog Joy labels through various classes of retail, including grocery, mass, club, pet specialty, and natural, as well as online.