Marshall Wace LLP Has $3.23 Million Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) by 748.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 84,000 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 74,100 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned about 0.12% of Central Garden & Pet worth $3,234,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter worth about $51,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 909.2% in the first quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 4,269 shares of the company's stock worth $183,000 after purchasing an additional 3,846 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter valued at $207,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 112.4% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 6,169 shares of the company's stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 3,265 shares during the period. Finally, Versor Investments LP bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the second quarter valued at about $270,000. Institutional investors own 16.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 1,486 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.80, for a total value of $48,740.80. Following the transaction, the director now owns 40,743 shares in the company, valued at $1,336,370.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 1,486 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.80, for a total value of $48,740.80. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 40,743 shares in the company, valued at $1,336,370.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total value of $85,700.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 822 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,178.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 63,986 shares of company stock worth $2,146,841 over the last 90 days. 9.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on CENT shares. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Monday. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Central Garden & Pet to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $52.50.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 2.6 %

Shares of CENT traded down $0.90 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $33.92. The stock had a trading volume of 103,955 shares, compared to its average volume of 116,346. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $40.27. The firm has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.21 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.

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

Central Garden & Pet 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.