Capula Management Ltd Has $2.55 Million Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Capula Management Ltd increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 13.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 77,243 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 9,010 shares during the period. Capula Management Ltd owned 0.12% of Central Garden & Pet worth $2,553,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock valued at $216,000 after buying an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 10.6% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 25,131 shares of the company's stock valued at $831,000 after acquiring an additional 2,403 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 25.0% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 36,362 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,202,000 after acquiring an additional 7,264 shares during the last quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth about $3,538,000. Finally, Highbridge Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% during the 4th quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 685,847 shares of the company's stock worth $22,667,000 after purchasing an additional 324,493 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 1.2 %

Central Garden & Pet stock traded up $0.37 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $31.72. 272,572 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 305,019. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a PE ratio of 17.43 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.81. 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 has a 52 week low of $27.70 and a 52 week high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CENTA has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, Argus cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

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.