Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $41.00.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of 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 cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note 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.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 3.9 %

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $32.86 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $32.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.28. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The firm has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a PE ratio of 20.31 and a beta of 0.76.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 9.31% and a net margin of 3.37%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CENTA. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 72.6% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $102,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,000 after buying an additional 2,791 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.