Marshall Wace LLP Has $2.54 Million Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Marshall Wace LLP decreased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) by 45.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 65,414 shares of the company's stock after selling 54,281 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.10% of Central Garden & Pet worth $2,538,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,474,313 shares of the company's stock worth $57,203,000 after purchasing an additional 125,418 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 138,273 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,365,000 after buying an additional 25,968 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 69.2% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 59,603 shares of the company's stock worth $2,313,000 after buying an additional 24,375 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 200,091 shares of the company's stock worth $7,764,000 after buying an additional 22,556 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $682,000. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 8.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on CENT. Truist Financial lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday. Argus cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $43.33.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

CENT traded up $0.28 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $34.19. The company's stock had a trading volume of 10,259 shares, compared to its average volume of 143,534. The company's 50-day moving average is $35.48 and its 200-day moving average is $36.89. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $32.16 and a 52 week high of $47.48. The firm has a market cap of $2.24 billion, a PE ratio of 18.79 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

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.