Proficio Capital Partners LLC Invests $682,000 in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 17,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $682,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of CENT. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth $272,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 11.6% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 112,305 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,096,000 after buying an additional 11,671 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,060 shares of the company’s stock worth $330,000 after buying an additional 464 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 395 shares during the period. Finally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 148,910 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,431,000 after buying an additional 2,450 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $45.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 7.3 %

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $33.67 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.50 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.14. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $32.17 and a 12-month high of $47.48.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Research analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

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 shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 8.19% of the company’s stock.

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.