GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Has $3 Million Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 90,820 shares of the company’s stock after selling 955 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $3,002,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CENTA. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $237,000. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. now owns 77,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,545,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 36.0% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 19,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $658,000 after acquiring an additional 5,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 154,071 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,113,000 after acquiring an additional 6,600 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 7.9 %

Shares of CENTA stock opened at $34.19 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $27.70 and a 1-year high of $41.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market cap of $2.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.13 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $32.64 and a 200-day moving average of $32.29.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its earnings results 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 net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 9.31%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on CENTA shares. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Argus lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.00.

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.