Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Shares Purchased by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 24.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,150 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,800 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 0.05% of Central Garden & Pet worth $1,364,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter worth about $1,681,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 138,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,365,000 after purchasing an additional 25,968 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at approximately $797,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $682,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 73.8% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 35,228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,285,000 after purchasing an additional 14,964 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ:CENT opened at $36.34 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $32.17 and a 52 week high of $47.48. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $36.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.20. The company has a market capitalization of $2.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.97 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last issued 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 net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Equities analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 8.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.