Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the five ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $41.33.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA opened at $33.79 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.15. The company has a market capitalization of $2.28 billion, a PE ratio of 20.88 and a beta of 0.73.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 53.2% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 34,773 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,284,000 after acquiring an additional 12,068 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 30.2% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,636,319 shares of the company’s stock valued at $208,093,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306,309 shares in the last quarter. American International Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 30.0% during the 1st quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 27,964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,032,000 after buying an additional 6,455 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 79.4% during the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 76,298 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,815,000 after buying an additional 33,770 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PEAK6 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the first quarter worth $709,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides dog and cat supplies, such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and containment, grooming products, waste management, and training pads; supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles, and pet birds, including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.