Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) shares traded down 5.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $30.70 and last traded at $30.74. 316,399 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 15% from the average session volume of 275,854 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.42.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $41.00.
Check Out Our Latest Report on CENTA
Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance
The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.74 and a beta of 0.70. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $31.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.94.
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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. On average, analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.
Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet
In other Central Garden & Pet 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 directly 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 owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 732 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth about $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company's stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 2,791 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock worth $180,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Central Garden & Pet
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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