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 firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of CENTA traded up $0.78 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $33.63. 202,783 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 263,325. The stock has a market cap of $2.21 billion, a PE ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $41.03. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $32.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $32.26.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENTA has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company 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 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CENTA. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,979,003 shares of the company’s stock valued at $197,606,000 after buying an additional 306,449 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter valued at about $7,621,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings 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 valued at $45,381,000 after buying an additional 170,121 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,849,000 after buying an additional 75,718 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,175,277 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,304,000 after purchasing an additional 68,689 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.