Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Insider Sells $328,600.00 in Stock

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 1.9 %

NASDAQ CENTA opened at $33.51 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $27.70 and a 52 week high of $41.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $32.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $32.27. The firm has a market cap of $2.20 billion, a PE ratio of 18.41 and a beta of 0.76.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on CENTA shares. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.00.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 72.6% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 823 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at about $102,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,000 after acquiring an additional 2,791 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

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.