Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Sells 11,528 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lowered its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,587,335 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,528 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 5.47% of Central Garden & Pet worth $118,561,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter valued at $102,000. KBC Group NV boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company's stock valued at $119,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares during the period. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake 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 worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock worth $216,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 1.7 %

CENTA traded up $0.51 on Friday, reaching $30.30. 56,629 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 311,192. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The company has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.65 and a beta of 0.75. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $31.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.89.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share 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, sell-side analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENTA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Argus cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $35.00 price objective (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on 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 equities research 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $36.00.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.