Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Shares Sold by Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lessened its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 9.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 811,192 shares of the company’s stock after selling 82,034 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $30,939,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% in the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 395 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter valued at $111,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 29.0% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,016 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter valued at $258,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, 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 transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 8.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CENT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $46.75.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CENT opened at $38.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 3.47. The firm has a market cap of $2.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.29 and a beta of 0.79. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.65. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $32.17 and a 52 week high of $47.48.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS 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%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, garden, and pet supplies markets. It operates through the Pet and Garden segments. The Pet segment focuses on 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, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish and small animals as well as outdoor cushions.