Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Purchases 1,813 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 32.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,412 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,813 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $245,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,622,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $583,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,303,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,557,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $31.35 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $31.81. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $27.70 and a one year high of $41.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.23 and a beta of 0.75.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS 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 anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.