Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

CENTA has been the subject of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.00.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of CENTA opened at $35.68 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.70 and a beta of 0.69. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.02 and a twelve month high of $39.55. The company has a 50 day moving average of $35.98 and a 200-day moving average of $31.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.14) by $0.15. The company had revenue of $634.53 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $620.11 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 10.32%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, CAO Howard Machek sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.40, for a total transaction of $182,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 59,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,162,378.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CFO Nicholas Lahanas sold 13,101 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.64, for a total value of $493,121.64. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 115,796 shares in the company, valued at $4,358,561.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Howard Machek sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.40, for a total value of $182,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 59,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,162,378.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 25,822 shares of company stock valued at $965,026 in the last quarter. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CENTA. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 9,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $427,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 61.3% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 519 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.6% in the third quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 91,749 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,678,000 after acquiring an additional 550 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 70,265 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,094,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the period. Finally, State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 6.5% in the third quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 14,199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $569,000 after buying an additional 862 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company 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.