Freshpet’s (FRPT) “Equal Weight” Rating Reaffirmed at Morgan Stanley

Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating reissued by analysts at Morgan Stanley in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. They presently have a $72.00 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of $77.00. Morgan Stanley’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 0.45% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on FRPT. TD Cowen raised Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. DA Davidson raised shares of Freshpet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $66.00 target price on shares of Freshpet in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Freshpet from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Freshpet from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.19.

Freshpet Stock Up 14.9%

FRPT opened at $71.68 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $55.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 5.26 and a current ratio of 6.18. The company has a market cap of $3.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.17 and a beta of 1.61. Freshpet has a one year low of $46.45 and a one year high of $86.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Freshpet

In related news, Director Craig D. Steeneck acquired 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $47.83 per share, with a total value of $95,660.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 37,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,793,625. The trade was a 5.63% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO William B. Cyr sold 42,495 shares of Freshpet stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.03, for a total value of $2,168,519.85. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 224,459 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,454,142.77. This represents a 15.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders bought 4,211 shares of company stock worth $215,027 and sold 235,262 shares worth $11,664,591. 4.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freshpet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Freshpet by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,281,833 shares of the company’s stock worth $321,822,000 after acquiring an additional 128,499 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Freshpet by 30.9% in the fourth quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,952,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $118,982,000 after acquiring an additional 461,444 shares during the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc grew its holdings in Freshpet by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 140,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,530,000 after purchasing an additional 70,000 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its position in Freshpet by 107.4% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 193,584 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,795,000 after purchasing an additional 100,260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Freshpet during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,722,000.

Key Headlines Impacting Freshpet

Here are the key news stories impacting Freshpet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly performance: Second-quarter net sales rose approximately 15.5% year over year to $305.6 million, exceeding the roughly $292.4 million analyst consensus. Reported earnings also surpassed expectations, with volume growth serving as the primary sales driver. Freshpet Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability improved: Adjusted EBITDA increased to $52.2 million from $44.4 million a year earlier, while adjusted gross margin expanded to 48.6% from 46.9%. Lower input costs and improved manufacturing-plant leverage supported the gains. Freshpet Growth and Outlook Analysis
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 outlook raised: Management now expects full-year net sales growth of 10% to 12% and adjusted EBITDA of $210 million to $220 million. Freshpet also lifted its long-term adjusted gross-margin target to above 49%, suggesting that recent operational improvements may be sustainable. Freshpet Raises 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: William Blair maintained a Buy rating, citing Freshpet’s niche leadership, potential for further margin expansion and improving cash flow. The positive results also triggered market commentary about heightened short-squeeze activity. Freshpet Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading and valuation context: FRPT is trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reflecting strong momentum, though the stock remains sensitive to expectations after its recent advance.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling remains a risk: Insiders recorded substantially more sales than purchases over the past six months, including significant sales by Chief Executive Officer William B. Cyr. Institutional ownership changes were also mixed, limiting the bullish signal from the earnings report.

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.