Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Insider John D. Walker III Sells 10,000 Shares

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the 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 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 2.4 %

NASDAQ CENTA traded up $0.78 on Tuesday, reaching $33.63. The company had a trading volume of 202,783 shares, compared to its average volume of 263,325. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 0.76. The company’s fifty day moving average is $32.58 and its 200 day moving average is $32.26. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 7.8% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 13,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $441,000 after acquiring an additional 968 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth $594,000. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 823 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,100,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,964,000 after acquiring an additional 38,077 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 39.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 12,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $397,000 after acquiring an additional 3,560 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides 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, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.