Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $8.15 Million Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 6.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 259,442 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,762 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.38% of Central Garden & Pet worth $8,146,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 30.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,636,319 shares of the company’s stock valued at $208,093,000 after buying an additional 1,306,309 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,653,753 shares of the company’s stock valued at $120,682,000 after buying an additional 29,780 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,100,751 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,964,000 after purchasing an additional 38,077 shares in the last quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 1,112,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,070,000 after purchasing an additional 74,256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 43.0% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 941,509 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,098,000 after buying an additional 283,045 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $31.44 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $30.78 and its 200 day moving average is $33.39. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.50 and a beta of 0.73.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total value of $2,012,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares in the company, valued at $37,758,426.42. This trade represents a 5.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.33.

Central Garden & Pet Profile

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides 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, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.