Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Receives Average Recommendation of "Buy" from Analysts

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Buy" from the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $47.50.

Several research analysts have recently commented on CENT shares. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Central Garden & Pet to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 1st. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Monday, September 30th.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CENT traded down $0.07 during trading on Friday, hitting $33.60. 46,391 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 115,293. The stock has a market cap of $2.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.07 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $30.75 and a fifty-two week high of $47.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $36.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.33.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.11. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.42% and a return on equity of 10.66%. The firm had revenue of $996.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.40 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,758,426.42. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 1,125,773 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,758,426.42. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total value of $85,700.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,178.16. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 63,986 shares of company stock valued at $2,146,841 in the last ninety days. 9.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 2nd quarter valued at about $51,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth $111,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the second quarter worth about $113,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 909.2% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 4,269 shares of the company's stock valued at $183,000 after purchasing an additional 3,846 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $187,000. Institutional investors own 16.13% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides 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, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.