Public Sector Pension Investment Board Has $808,000 Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 6.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 20,978 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,200 shares during the quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $808,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of CENT. Orchard Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Orchard Capital Management LLC now owns 169,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,474,000 after buying an additional 8,914 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 6.8% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 53,039 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,272,000 after acquiring an additional 3,397 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 112.4% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 6,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 3,265 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 8,386 shares of the company’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 712 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 92.6% in the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 51,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,189,000 after purchasing an additional 24,575 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,758,426.42. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,758,426.42. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 1,486 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.80, for a total transaction of $48,740.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 40,743 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,336,370.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 63,986 shares of company stock worth $2,146,841 over the last quarter. 9.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 1st. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Monday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $52.50.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 2.3 %

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $34.82 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company has a market capitalization of $2.35 billion, a PE ratio of 15.61 and a beta of 0.75. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $38.45 and its 200 day moving average is $40.27. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $30.75 and a 12-month high of $47.48.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.42% and a return on equity of 10.66%. The company had revenue of $996.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.40 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.11 EPS for the current fiscal 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 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.