ProShare Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 1,359.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 92,972 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 86,602 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned about 0.17% of Central Garden & Pet worth $3,632,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Rebalance LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth about $107,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 31.0% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $107,000 after buying an additional 646 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth about $118,000. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 262.1% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 4,323 shares of the company’s stock worth $147,000 after buying an additional 3,129 shares during the last quarter. 67.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CENTA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. KeyCorp increased their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.33.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.0 %

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $42.16 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 3.51 and a quick ratio of 1.77. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $33.69 and a 12 month high of $45.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.26 billion, a PE ratio of 18.65 and a beta of 0.71. The business’s 50-day moving average is $39.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.72.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.30. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 9.59% and a net margin of 3.70%. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. Research analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 25,561 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.34, for a total value of $1,158,935.74. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $133,299.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,440 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.87, for a total transaction of $99,722.80. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,946 shares in the company, valued at $120,403.02. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 25,561 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.34, for a total value of $1,158,935.74. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $133,299.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 49,371 shares of company stock worth $2,151,777. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Central Garden & Pet

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 grooming products, waste management and training pads, and pet containment; supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles, and pet birds, including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, and food and supplements; animal and household health and insect control products; live fish and products for fish, reptiles, and other aquarium-based pets, such as aquariums, furniture and lighting fixtures, pumps, filters, water conditioners, food, and supplements; and products for equine and livestock, as well as outdoor cushions.