Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $41.00.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on CENTA. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,048 shares of the company’s stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 398 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,622,000 after buying an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,303,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of CENTA stock opened at $32.12 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.65 and a beta of 0.70. The business’s fifty day moving average is $31.93 and its 200 day moving average is $31.89. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Research analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal 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.