KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Buys Shares of 11,549 Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 11,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $382,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,622,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,303,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,557,000 after buying an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $31.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.06 billion, a PE ratio of 17.29 and a beta of 0.70. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03. The company’s 50 day moving average is $32.05 and its 200 day moving average is $31.89. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This 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 link. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CENTA shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.00.

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.