KBC Group NV Grows Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

KBC Group NV grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 50.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,606 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,204 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $119,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. CWM LLC raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in 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. Point72 DIFC Ltd grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% in the third quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 6,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,492 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at approximately $194,000. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $215,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on 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. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 3.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA opened at $32.86 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a PE ratio of 20.31 and a beta of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $32.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.28. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 9.31% and a net margin of 3.37%. Equities research analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current year.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.