LSV Asset Management Has $9.29 Million Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

LSV Asset Management decreased its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 12.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 281,207 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,200 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned 0.43% of Central Garden & Pet worth $9,294,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,979,003 shares of the company's stock valued at $197,606,000 after buying an additional 306,449 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,175,277 shares of the company's stock valued at $68,304,000 after purchasing an additional 68,689 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,373,100 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,381,000 after purchasing an additional 170,121 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 832,512 shares of the company's stock worth $27,515,000 after purchasing an additional 59,489 shares in the last quarter. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 805,564 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,624,000 after buying an additional 17,530 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet 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 of the company's stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Central Garden & Pet stock traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $30.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 287,786 shares, compared to its average volume of 308,326. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The company has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.92 and a beta of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $27.70 and a 1-year high of $41.03. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $31.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.81.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. 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. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Two 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $41.00.

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.