Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Shares Sold by Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lessened its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 66.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 50,271 shares of the company's stock after selling 101,077 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned approximately 0.08% of Central Garden & Pet worth $1,661,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CENTA. Highbridge Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% in the fourth quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 685,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,667,000 after purchasing an additional 324,493 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,979,003 shares of the company's stock valued at $197,606,000 after acquiring an additional 306,449 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $8,245,000. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,373,100 shares of the company's stock worth $45,381,000 after acquiring an additional 170,121 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock worth $3,849,000 after acquiring an additional 75,718 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ CENTA traded down $0.19 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $32.08. 27,270 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 305,658. The company has a market capitalization of $2.10 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The firm's 50-day moving average is $32.00 and its 200-day moving average is $31.82.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. Equities analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $41.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.