Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Stock Position Lowered by AlphaQuest LLC

AlphaQuest LLC lessened its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 80.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,192 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,666 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $163,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake 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 buying an additional 1,089 shares in the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew 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 acquiring an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. Amundi grew 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 acquiring an additional 2,771 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 29.0% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,016 shares during the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth $258,000. Institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on CENT shares. 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 report on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $45.00.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 8.19% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENT stock opened at $36.68 on Tuesday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $32.17 and a 1-year high of $47.48. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $2.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.15 and a beta of 0.73. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $36.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.23.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, sell-side analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.