Intech Investment Management LLC Increases Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 94.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 44,221 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 21,500 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC owned about 0.07% of Central Garden & Pet worth $1,462,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after purchasing 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 approximately $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% in 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 period. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd lifted its position in 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 buying an additional 1,492 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

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Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 3.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA traded up $1.14 during trading on Monday, reaching $31.60. 316,832 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 324,315. The stock has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.36 and a beta of 0.70. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $31.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.93.

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 analysts' consensus estimates 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, sell-side analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 20.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on CENTA. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target 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, Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock 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.