Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 5.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 5,979,003 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 306,449 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 9.12% of Central Garden & Pet worth $197,606,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,373,100 shares of the company's stock worth $45,381,000 after purchasing an additional 170,121 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock worth $3,849,000 after buying an additional 75,718 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,175,277 shares of the company's stock worth $68,304,000 after buying an additional 68,689 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 832,512 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,515,000 after acquiring an additional 59,489 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $1,637,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ CENTA traded up $0.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $31.72. 272,572 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 304,375. The company has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.43 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. The business's 50 day moving average is $32.03 and its 200-day moving average is $31.81. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet 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 sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CENTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.