Brokerages Set Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Price Target at $41.00

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

A number of brokerages recently commented on CENTA. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,090,000. Credit Industriel ET Commercial acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $4,818,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 53,494 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,768,000 after buying an additional 3,069 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 23.5% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 111,167 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,674,000 after buying an additional 21,125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 961,615 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,781,000 after buying an additional 14,144 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.6 %

CENTA stock traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $32.67. The stock had a trading volume of 324,800 shares, compared to its average volume of 289,361. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market cap of $2.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.95 and a beta of 0.70. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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, research analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.