Victory Capital Management Inc. Purchases 36,251 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 1.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,942,422 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 36,251 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned 4.36% of Central Garden & Pet worth $92,392,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter worth $215,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 12.2% during the third quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 57,164 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,795,000 after buying an additional 6,233 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at $413,000. James Investment Research Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% during the third quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 30,302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $951,000 after purchasing an additional 5,712 shares during the period. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 91,775 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,882,000 after purchasing an additional 2,352 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA stock opened at $31.62 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.13 billion, a PE ratio of 14.58 and a beta of 0.73. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.52. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $41.03.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on CENTA. StockNews.com lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $41.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total transaction of $85,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,178.16. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total value of $2,012,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 1,125,773 shares in the company, valued at $37,758,426.42. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total transaction of $85,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 822 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,178.16. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.