Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Receives $41.33 Consensus PT from Analysts

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Buy" from the five brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $41.33.

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

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of CENTA traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $33.22. The company had a trading volume of 288,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 279,681. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $30.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $33.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.31 and a beta of 0.73. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,758,426.42. The trade was a 5.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 503.2% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 754 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 629 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the second quarter valued at $26,000. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3,558.1% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,103 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the second quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 37.4% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,650 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 449 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.