Handelsbanken Fonder AB Takes $264,000 Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 7,979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $264,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at about $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,000 after purchasing an additional 2,791 shares during the period. Point72 DIFC Ltd grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% in the 3rd 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. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter valued at approximately $194,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of CENTA stock opened at $30.95 on Tuesday. 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 company’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.14. The stock has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.01 and a beta of 0.76.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its earnings results 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 return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. Analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Activity

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider now 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

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.