Mirabella Financial Services LLP Reduces Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Mirabella Financial Services LLP decreased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 95.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 28,253 shares of the company’s stock after selling 601,798 shares during the quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $934,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth $102,000. KBC Group NV increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,000 after buying an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company’s stock worth $216,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

CENTA opened at $30.79 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 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 has a 50 day moving average of $31.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 16.92 and a beta of 0.75.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. On average, analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on CENTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.00.

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.