KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Makes New Investment in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 11,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $382,000.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $102,000. KBC Group NV raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 2,791 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% in the third quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 6,154 shares of the company’s stock worth $193,000 after buying an additional 1,492 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CENTA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA opened at $31.46 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market cap of $2.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.29 and a beta of 0.70. The business’s 50 day moving average is $32.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.89.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Central Garden & Pet 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.