The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Purchases 59,368 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 9.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 691,092 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 59,368 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 1.03% of Central Garden & Pet worth $21,700,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.5% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 50,868 shares of the company's stock worth $1,878,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 16.5% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,511 shares of the company's stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 2.5% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,269 shares of the company's stock valued at $504,000 after buying an additional 377 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 37.4% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,650 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 27,300 shares of the company's stock worth $902,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CENTA has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $41.33.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA traded down $0.34 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $33.79. The company had a trading volume of 217,653 shares, compared to its average volume of 277,040. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $27.70 and a one year high of $41.03. The firm has a market cap of $2.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.88 and a beta of 0.73. The company's 50-day moving average price is $30.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.15. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.