Proficio Capital Partners LLC Takes $1.64 Million Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 49,542 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,637,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC owned approximately 0.08% of Central Garden & Pet at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of CENTA. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company's stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 2,791 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 6,154 shares of the company's stock worth $193,000 after acquiring an additional 1,492 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 6.0 %

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock traded down $1.96 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $30.46. 1,705,084 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 281,544. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.74 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a fifty day moving average of $31.83 and a 200-day moving average of $31.94. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider now directly 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 filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target 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. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $41.00.

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.