New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA – Get Rating) by 0.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 97,362 shares of the company’s stock after selling 500 shares during the quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.18% of Central Garden & Pet worth $3,970,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,771,670 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,774,000 after purchasing an additional 124,430 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth about $73,756,000. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 20.5% in the fourth quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 1,467,752 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,232,000 after purchasing an additional 249,979 shares in the last quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 1,268,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,218,000 after acquiring an additional 86,873 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 958,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,887,000 after acquiring an additional 91,443 shares during the period. 68.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet
In other news, CFO Nicholas Lahanas sold 7,306 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.78, for a total transaction of $305,244.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 113,520 shares in the company, valued at $4,742,865.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of brokerages have commented on CENTA. StockNews.com began coverage on Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Thursday, March 31st. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. KeyCorp decreased their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $62.00 to $56.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $47.00 to $49.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 14th.
Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ CENTA opened at $41.23 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.85, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.99. The company has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a PE ratio of 15.05 and a beta of 0.57. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $37.56 and a 12-month high of $52.04.
Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 4th. The company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $954.37 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $935.14 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 12.18% and a net margin of 4.48%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.77 EPS for the current year.
Central Garden & Pet 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 grooming products, waste management and training pads, and pet containment; supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles, and pet birds, including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, and food and supplements; animal and household health and insect control products; live fish and products for fish, reptiles, and other aquarium-based pets, such as aquariums, furniture and lighting fixtures, pumps, filters, water conditioners, food, and supplements; and products for horses and livestock, as well as outdoor cushions and pillows.
Further Reading
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