Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Receives $41.00 Consensus PT from Analysts

Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the five research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $41.00.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on CENTA shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on 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.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA traded up $0.06 during trading on Thursday, reaching $30.33. 148,470 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 326,022. The business's 50-day moving average price is $31.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $31.91. The company has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.69 and a beta of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03. 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 (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share 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%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

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 completion of the transaction, the insider now 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter valued at $102,000. KBC Group NV grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company's stock valued at $119,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock worth $216,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% 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.