John D. Walker III Sells 10,000 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Stock

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ CENT opened at $38.30 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a PE ratio of 21.04 and a beta of 0.79. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 2.19. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $32.17 and a 1-year high of $47.48.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. On average, research analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. One investment analyst has 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 MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth approximately $58,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $111,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 193.8% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 4,201 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,000 after purchasing an additional 2,771 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, garden, and pet supplies markets. It operates through the Pet and Garden segments. The Pet segment focuses on 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, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish and small animals as well as outdoor cushions.