William Blair Investment Management LLC Has $10.57 Million Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet Company $CENTA

William Blair Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 59.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 361,982 shares of the company’s stock after selling 522,802 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned about 0.58% of Central Garden & Pet worth $10,566,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of CENTA. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 533 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 239.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,220 shares of the company’s stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 4,388 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.2%

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $34.63 on Wednesday. Central Garden & Pet Company has a twelve month low of $25.97 and a twelve month high of $37.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.45. The firm has a market cap of $2.17 billion, a PE ratio of 12.59 and a beta of 0.59. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $33.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.72.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.42% and a return on equity of 11.55%. The company had revenue of $906.15 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $846.58 million. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on CENTA shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.00.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Co is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of branded consumable gardening products and pet supplies in North America. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the company serves both retail and wholesale customers through a network of distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Operating under the ticker symbol CENTA on the NASDAQ exchange, Central Garden & Pet has been publicly traded since 2003.

The company’s Garden segment offers a broad portfolio of lawn and garden care solutions, including fertilizers, weed and pest control products, soil and mulch, and plant care accessories.