Empowered Funds LLC Acquires Shares of 242,700 Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 242,700 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,621,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned about 0.36% of Central Garden & Pet at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 1st quarter worth approximately $208,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the first quarter worth $174,000. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 32.3% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 106,937 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,948,000 after purchasing an additional 26,137 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted 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 valued at $1,284,000 after buying an additional 12,068 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 40.8% in the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 10,462 shares of the company's stock worth $386,000 after buying an additional 3,032 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total value of $85,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 822 shares of the company's stock, valued at $28,178.16. This represents a 75.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 1,125,773 shares in the company, valued at $37,758,426.42. The trade was a 5.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 20.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock traded up $0.09 on Friday, hitting $31.63. 222,744 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 277,515. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $41.03. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.13 billion, a PE ratio of 14.59 and a beta of 0.73.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on CENTA shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $41.33.

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.