Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Purchases 25,893 Shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP – Get Rating) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,704,306 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 25,893 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 7.74% of Fresh Del Monte Produce worth $97,017,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in FDP. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce in the third quarter worth about $42,000. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce in the third quarter worth about $42,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 247.3% during the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,813 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,291 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in Fresh Del Monte Produce by 235.6% during the first quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,168 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,522 shares during the period. 64.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Price Performance

NYSE:FDP opened at $26.50 on Tuesday. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.63 and a 52 week high of $32.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $1.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.42 and a beta of 0.66. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $28.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.28.

Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE:FDP – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.16 billion. Fresh Del Monte Produce had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 4.93%. The company’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.55 EPS.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.02%. This is a boost from Fresh Del Monte Produce’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 16th. Fresh Del Monte Produce’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.48%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on Fresh Del Monte Produce in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Hans Sauter sold 1,499 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.76, for a total value of $46,109.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Hans Sauter sold 1,499 shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.76, for a total value of $46,109.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Sergio Mancilla sold 1,485 shares of Fresh Del Monte Produce stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.20, for a total value of $44,847.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 68 shares in the company, valued at $2,053.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,677 shares of company stock valued at $112,788. 29.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Company Profile

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Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc engages in production and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetable products. It operates through the following segments: Fresh and Value-added products, Bananas, and Other Products and Services. The Fresh and Value-added products segment includes sales of pineapples, melons, non-tropical fruit (including grapes, apples, citrus, blueberries, strawberries, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and kiwis), other fruit and vegetables, avocados, fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, other beverages, and prepared meals and snacks.