Norges Bank Takes Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Norges Bank purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 249,468 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,245,000. Norges Bank owned 0.38% of Central Garden & Pet as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,622,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company's stock valued at $583,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company's stock worth $5,303,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 809 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on CENTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock traded up $0.18 on Monday, hitting $31.90. The company had a trading volume of 5,019 shares, compared to its average volume of 303,826. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $32.03 and a 200-day moving average of $31.81. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $41.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.54 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, garden, and pet supplies markets. It operates through the Pet and Garden segments. The Pet segment focuses on 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, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish and small animals as well as outdoor cushions.