Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Purchases 7,810 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 18.3% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 50,425 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,810 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $1,583,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CENTA. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,175,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,304,000 after purchasing an additional 68,689 shares during the last quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 6,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,492 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 414.9% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 9,439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 7,606 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter valued at $194,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter valued at $316,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $35.06 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $32.00 and its 200 day moving average is $32.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 3.66 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The firm has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.67 and a beta of 0.78. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $27.70 and a one year high of $41.03.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.