Amundi Raises Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Amundi increased its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 190.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 26,407 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,323 shares during the period. Amundi’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $809,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the period. KBC Group NV grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth about $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 2,791 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 6,154 shares of the company’s stock worth $193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,492 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $32.36 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $31.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.98. The firm has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 17.78 and a beta of 0.70.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.