Bank of New York Mellon Corp Grows Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 0.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 422,084 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 468 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned 0.64% of Central Garden & Pet worth $13,950,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CENTA. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP increased its position in shares of 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 lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 1,492 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at $194,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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 note on Thursday, January 16th. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.00.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the 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 directly 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $31.95 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $2.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.55 and a beta of 0.70. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $31.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $32.06. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. As a group, research analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.