Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 7.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 832,512 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 59,489 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned about 1.27% of Central Garden & Pet worth $27,515,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of CENTA. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the period. KBC Group NV grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company's stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 2,791 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% during the third quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 6,154 shares of the company's stock valued at $193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,492 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 6.0 %

Shares of CENTA stock traded down $1.95 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $30.47. 741,356 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 281,033. The stock's fifty day moving average is $31.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.98. 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 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The stock has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.74 and a beta of 0.70.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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%. Equities analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on CENTA. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus 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.