Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd Acquires New Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 32,241 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,012,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 30.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,636,319 shares of the company’s stock worth $208,093,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306,309 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.0% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 941,509 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,098,000 after acquiring an additional 283,045 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter worth about $7,621,000. LSV Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 85.8% in the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 439,066 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,502,000 after purchasing an additional 202,761 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,508,000. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

CENTA opened at $34.13 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.23. The company has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.41 and a beta of 0.73. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,758,426.42. The trade was a 5.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.33.

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.