KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Buys New Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 11,549 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $382,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 33.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 76,388 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,399,000 after buying an additional 19,306 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,849,000 after acquiring an additional 75,718 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,573,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 268,331 shares of the company's stock worth $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 8,889 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $1,637,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 4.7 %

Shares of CENTA stock traded up $1.41 on Wednesday, hitting $31.63. 541,529 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 302,922. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.07 billion, a PE ratio of 17.38 and a beta of 0.75. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $32.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.82. 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 announced its quarterly 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%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet 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.