D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 76.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 175,925 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 75,986 shares during the period. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. owned about 0.27% of Central Garden & Pet worth $5,814,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,849,000 after purchasing an additional 75,718 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth about $1,573,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 268,331 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 8,889 shares during the period. Highbridge Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% during the 4th quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 685,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,667,000 after purchasing an additional 324,493 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at about $473,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ CENTA traded down $0.19 on Thursday, reaching $31.95. 31,453 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 317,834. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.09 billion, a PE ratio of 17.53 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. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $31.30 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.06. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $27.70 and a one year high of $40.05.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CENTA. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Truist Financial reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $33.00.

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.