Cerity Partners LLC Acquires 5,178 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Cerity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 33.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,667 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,178 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $649,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 25.4% during the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 53,918 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,991,000 after purchasing an additional 10,910 shares during the period. Comerica Bank raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 19.3% during the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 23,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $860,000 after buying an additional 3,767 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3,558.1% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 1,103 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 17.7% in the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 23,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $765,000 after acquiring an additional 3,490 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position 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 valued at $83,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.3 %

NASDAQ CENTA opened at $34.20 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $31.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.00. 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 $2.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.14 and a beta of 0.78. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $41.03.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CENTA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 11th. Two equities 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price 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.