Bank of America Corp DE Sells 45,246 Shares of Central Garden & Pet Company $CENTA

Key Points

• Bank of America reduced its Central Garden & Pet stake by 9.1%, selling 45,246 shares and retaining 449,597 shares worth approximately $14.6 million, or 0.72% of the company.
• Institutional investors own 50.82% of CENTA, while insider John D. Walker III recently sold 5,000 shares for $192,500.
• Central Garden & Pet reported quarterly EPS of $1.54, exceeding estimates of $1.51, while analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $46.67.

Bank of America Corp DE lessened its holdings in Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 9.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 449,597 shares of the company's stock after selling 45,246 shares during the quarter. Bank of America Corp DE owned approximately 0.72% of Central Garden & Pet worth $14,576,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 577.9% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,654 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,410 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.50, for a total value of $192,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 64,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,490,141.50. This represents a 7.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on CENTA shares. Zacks Research lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $46.67.

Central Garden & Pet News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Central Garden & Pet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks projects earnings growth to $3.02 per share in fiscal 2028, slightly above its $2.94 fiscal 2026 estimate, suggesting a gradual improvement in profitability over the forecast period.
• Neutral Sentiment: The updated quarterly outlook calls for EPS of $0.14 in Q1 2027, $1.26 in Q2, $1.58 in Q3, and a $0.05 loss in Q4. For fiscal 2028, Zacks estimates EPS of $0.16 in Q1, $1.28 in Q2, and $1.60 in Q3, reflecting Central Garden & Pet’s seasonal earnings pattern.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks’ $2.94 fiscal 2026 EPS estimate is below the $3.00 consensus forecast, while its $2.93 fiscal 2027 projection is also below the current-year consensus. The repeated “Hold” rating provides no new bullish catalyst.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA stock opened at $38.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 2.67 and a current ratio of 3.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.34 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $38.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.28. Central Garden & Pet Company has a one year low of $25.97 and a one year high of $40.79.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.03. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.13% and a net margin of 5.39%.The company had revenue of $882.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.98 EPS for the current year.

Central Garden & Pet Profile

Central Garden & Pet Co is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of branded consumable gardening products and pet supplies in North America. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the company serves both retail and wholesale customers through a network of distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Operating under the ticker symbol CENTA on the NASDAQ exchange, Central Garden & Pet has been publicly traded since 2003.

The company's Garden segment offers a broad portfolio of lawn and garden care solutions, including fertilizers, weed and pest control products, soil and mulch, and plant care accessories.

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