First Trust Advisors LP Purchases 35,059 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 37.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 127,886 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 35,059 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned 0.19% of Central Garden & Pet worth $4,227,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Farringdon Capital Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth about $416,000. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 76,524 shares of the company's stock worth $2,529,000 after acquiring an additional 31,302 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter worth $455,000. Barclays PLC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 124,773 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,123,000 after purchasing an additional 2,243 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $180,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial restated a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price objective (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $36.00.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ:CENTA traded down $0.47 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $29.74. The company's stock had a trading volume of 103,004 shares, compared to its average volume of 314,745. The company has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.34 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $27.70 and a fifty-two week high of $41.03. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $31.38 and a 200-day moving average of $31.89.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $876.36 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Central Garden & Pet Company 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.