Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) has received an average rating of “Buy” from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $41.75.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on CENTA shares. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 31st. Truist Financial raised their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Argus raised Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt lifted their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 9th.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA opened at $32.64 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.33, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market cap of $2.20 billion, a PE ratio of 14.66 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $34.69. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.88 and a 12-month high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.16. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.49% and a return on equity of 11.30%. The firm had revenue of $900.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $895.68 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.28 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 4,218 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.31, for a total value of $170,027.58. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 85,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,428,889.53. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 4,218 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.31, for a total transaction of $170,027.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 85,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,428,889.53. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Howard Machek sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.05, for a total value of $400,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 51,474 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,061,533.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 714,218 shares of company stock valued at $25,945,528 over the last 90 days. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CENTA. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 37.4% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the first quarter valued at $174,000. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 31.1% in the first quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 5,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $190,000 after buying an additional 1,219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the first quarter valued at $194,000. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides 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, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.