Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Receives Average Recommendation of "Buy" from Analysts

Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Buy" from the five ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have issued a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $41.33.

A number of analysts recently commented on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA traded down $0.38 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $33.82. 1,500,904 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 287,744. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 3.66 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The company has a market cap of $2.22 billion, a PE ratio of 20.90 and a beta of 0.78. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $32.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $32.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $41.03.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 16.5% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,511 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.5% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,269 shares of the company's stock worth $504,000 after buying an additional 377 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.2% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 27,300 shares of the company's stock worth $902,000 after buying an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 503.2% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 754 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 629 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.