KBC Group NV Buys 732 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

KBC Group NV increased its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,402 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 732 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $75,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 0.5% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 50,868 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,878,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 16.5% in the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $504,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 37.4% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 449 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.2% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 27,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $902,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chairman now owns 1,125,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,758,426.42. This trade represents a 5.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.9 %

NASDAQ CENTA opened at $33.18 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.24 billion, a PE ratio of 15.30 and a beta of 0.73. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $41.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $30.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.37.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $41.33.

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.