Barclays PLC Grows Stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 51.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 34,944 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,865 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.05% of Central Garden & Pet worth $1,275,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of CENT. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the second quarter valued at about $295,000. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 24.5% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 162,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,262,000 after buying an additional 32,009 shares during the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the second quarter worth $51,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 777,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,926,000 after acquiring an additional 5,571 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the second quarter valued at $207,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

CENT stock opened at $36.21 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.87. The firm has a market cap of $2.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.38 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 3.66. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $32.17 and a 1 year high of $47.48.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 25th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.22) by $0.04. The business had revenue of $669.49 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $707.83 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 9.31% and a net margin of 3.37%. The firm’s revenue was down 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Argus lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.75.

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.