Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" from Analysts

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Buy" from the five research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $46.75.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 2.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ CENT traded up $0.91 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $35.29. 229,853 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 115,940. The business has a 50 day moving average of $37.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $37.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.39 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $32.17 and a 1 year high of $47.48.

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Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet 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 stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 8.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CENT. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,474,313 shares of the company's stock worth $57,203,000 after buying an additional 125,418 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,681,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 138,273 shares of the company's stock worth $5,365,000 after buying an additional 25,968 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 69.2% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 59,603 shares of the company's stock worth $2,313,000 after buying an additional 24,375 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 186,167 shares of the company's stock worth $7,223,000 after buying an additional 23,622 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company's stock.

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.