Credit Industriel ET Commercial Takes $4.82 Million Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Credit Industriel ET Commercial purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 145,770 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,818,000. Central Garden & Pet comprises about 0.7% of Credit Industriel ET Commercial's holdings, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Credit Industriel ET Commercial owned 0.22% of Central Garden & Pet at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Barclays PLC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock worth $3,849,000 after buying an additional 75,718 shares during the period. Denali Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter worth about $1,573,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 268,331 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 8,889 shares in the last quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC increased its stake 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at about $473,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

CENTA traded down $0.50 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $30.27. The company's stock had a trading volume of 193,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 309,530. The company's 50-day moving average is $31.62 and its 200-day moving average is $31.89. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $27.70 and a 52 week high of $41.03. The firm has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on CENTA. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $41.00.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business'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 completion of the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.