Empowered Funds LLC Purchases 2,297 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 5.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,392 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,297 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.07% of Central Garden & Pet worth $1,878,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 73.8% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 35,228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,285,000 after purchasing an additional 14,964 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 29.0% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,016 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 51.4% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 34,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,275,000 after acquiring an additional 11,865 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at $258,000. 16.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ:CENT opened at $38.75 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.29 and a beta of 0.79. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $32.17 and a 52-week high of $47.48. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $38.18 and a 200 day moving average of $37.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 3.47.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (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 expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction 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 owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 8.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CENT. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.75.

Central Garden & Pet Company 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.