Aristeia Capital L.L.C. Acquires Shares of 16,633 Central Garden & Pet Company $CENT

Key Points

• Aristeia Capital L.L.C. has made a new investment of approximately $610,000 in Central Garden & Pet Company, acquiring 16,633 shares as per their recent SEC filing.
• Several institutional investors, including Millennium Management LLC and Bridgeway Capital Management LLC, have also increased their stakes in Central Garden & Pet during the first quarter.
• Central Garden & Pet reported $1.56 earnings per share for its most recent quarter, surpassing analyst expectations, despite a 3.6% year-over-year decline in revenue.

Aristeia Capital L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 16,633 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $610,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 13.7% during the 1st quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 2,820 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the first quarter worth $33,000. Simplex Trading LLC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 136.2% during the first quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 2,048 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 1,181 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 14,742 shares of the company's stock valued at $572,000 after buying an additional 1,340 shares during the period. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 14.6% during the 1st quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 11,016 shares of the company's stock valued at $404,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of CENT stock traded up $0.43 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $36.65. 60,940 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 134,718. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.20. The firm has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.66 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 3.56. Central Garden & Pet Company has a fifty-two week low of $31.97 and a fifty-two week high of $43.88.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.22. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.44% and a return on equity of 10.77%. The business had revenue of $960.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $993.66 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.59, for a total value of $114,065.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 67,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,194,219.52. This represents a 4.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,076 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.58, for a total value of $100,216.08. Following the sale, the director owned 1,427 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $46,491.66. This represents a 68.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 8.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.