New York State Common Retirement Fund Boosts Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 60.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,436 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 11,100 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $973,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during 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 last quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% during the 3rd 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 last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter valued at $194,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ CENTA opened at $30.95 on Tuesday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $27.70 and a 1-year high of $41.03. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $31.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.01 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the company. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.