GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Sells 955 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lessened its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 90,820 shares of the company’s stock after selling 955 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. owned about 0.14% of Central Garden & Pet worth $3,002,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 7.8% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 13,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $441,000 after acquiring an additional 968 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 34.3% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 255,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,428,000 after purchasing an additional 65,213 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at $594,000. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 72.6% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,100,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,964,000 after buying an additional 38,077 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CENTA has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $34.19 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $32.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.29. The firm has a market cap of $2.24 billion, a PE ratio of 21.13 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 9.31% and a net margin of 3.37%. Equities research analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current 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.