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

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $39.35 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.62 and a beta of 0.79. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $32.17 and a 52-week high of $47.48. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $38.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 3.47.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last posted 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 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. On average, equities analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on CENT shares. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average 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 business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,474,313 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,203,000 after purchasing an additional 125,418 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth $1,681,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 138,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,365,000 after purchasing an additional 25,968 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 12.7% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 200,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,764,000 after purchasing an additional 22,556 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at $797,000. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

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.