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

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $32.90 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $32.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.16 billion, a PE ratio of 18.08 and a beta of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year 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 analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its stake in 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 buying an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in 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 buying an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter worth $102,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 2,791 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.