Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Stock Holdings Lifted by First Trust Advisors LP

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

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,622,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company's stock worth $583,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company's stock worth $5,303,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $30.27 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63 and a beta of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $41.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $31.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.89.

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

Insider Activity

In other 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 transaction of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on CENTA. 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 research note on Friday, April 11th. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Truist Financial reissued a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 target price (down from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $36.00.

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.

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