Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Short Interest Update

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 948,400 shares, a growth of 5.2% from the January 15th total of 901,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 293,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.2 days.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Highbridge Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% in the fourth 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 period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,979,003 shares of the company's stock worth $197,606,000 after buying an additional 306,449 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter valued at about $8,245,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter valued at about $7,621,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,373,100 shares of the company's stock worth $45,381,000 after acquiring an additional 170,121 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Central Garden & Pet stock traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $32.05. 272,827 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 256,295. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $41.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.61 and a beta of 0.76. The business has a 50 day moving average of $32.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.22.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on CENTA. Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Two 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 presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.