Vanguard Group Inc. Has $57.20 Million Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) by 9.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,474,313 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 125,418 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 2.25% of Central Garden & Pet worth $57,203,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth approximately $58,000. Amundi grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 193.8% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 4,201 shares of the company's stock worth $151,000 after acquiring an additional 2,771 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 29.0% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,521 shares of the company's stock worth $157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,016 shares in the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $258,000. 16.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company's 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 completion of the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 8.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CENT traded down $1.79 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $34.64. The company had a trading volume of 67,997 shares, compared to its average volume of 142,323. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $36.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.87. The stock has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 0.80. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $32.17 and a 12 month high of $47.48.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Central Garden & Pet Company 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.