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

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

Several research analysts have recently commented on CENTA shares. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock traded up $0.78 on Friday, reaching $33.63. The company had a trading volume of 202,783 shares, compared to its average volume of 263,325. The firm has a market cap of $2.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $32.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.26. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,622,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company's stock valued at $583,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,303,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,557,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently 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.