XTX Topco Ltd Takes Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 13,775 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $455,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the fourth 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. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter worth about $102,000. KBC Group NV raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company's stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $180,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock worth $216,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $41.00.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

CENTA traded up $0.15 on Wednesday, reaching $31.11. The stock had a trading volume of 256,842 shares, compared to its average volume of 309,268. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $31.72 and a 200-day moving average of $31.84. The company has a market capitalization of $2.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.09 and a beta of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $27.70 and a fifty-two week high of $41.03. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

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.