Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Shares Sold by Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC reduced its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 9.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 811,192 shares of the company’s stock after selling 82,034 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned approximately 1.24% of Central Garden & Pet worth $30,939,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,060 shares of the company’s stock valued at $330,000 after buying an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 29.0% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after buying an additional 1,016 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 1,089 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 21.5% in the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 11,235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 1,988 shares during the last quarter. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 8.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.75.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENT stock opened at $38.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 3.47. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $32.17 and a one year high of $47.48. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.29 and a beta of 0.79.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Central Garden & Pet 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.