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

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

CENTA stock opened at $32.90 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company 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 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $32.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.26.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price 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, Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CENTA. Highbridge Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% during the 4th quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 685,847 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,667,000 after purchasing an additional 324,493 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,979,003 shares of the company’s stock worth $197,606,000 after purchasing an additional 306,449 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth about $8,245,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth about $7,621,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,373,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,381,000 after acquiring an additional 170,121 shares in the last quarter. 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.