New York State Teachers Retirement System Decreases Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

New York State Teachers Retirement System decreased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 90,303 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,724 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.14% of Central Garden & Pet worth $2,985,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 33.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 76,388 shares of the company's stock worth $2,399,000 after buying an additional 19,306 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock worth $3,849,000 after acquiring an additional 75,718 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 773,023 shares of the company's stock worth $24,273,000 after purchasing an additional 41,241 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 255,113 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,431,000 after purchasing an additional 12,413 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,012,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 3.6 %

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock traded down $1.16 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $31.32. The company's stock had a trading volume of 693,790 shares, compared to its average volume of 270,702. The stock has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.21 and a beta of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $27.70 and a 52 week high of $41.03. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $32.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $32.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CENTA shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently 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.