BNP Paribas Financial Markets Sells 7,510 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets reduced its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) by 82.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,550 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,510 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets' holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $60,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at $58,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 201.1% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,818 shares of the company's stock worth $148,000 after acquiring an additional 2,550 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 193.8% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 4,201 shares of the company's stock worth $151,000 after acquiring an additional 2,771 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 22.8% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 8,002 shares of the company's stock worth $310,000 after acquiring an additional 1,488 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth $396,000. 16.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Truist Financial downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 7,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.04, for a total value of $249,912.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 377,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,091,351.32. This represents a 2.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Over the last three months, insiders sold 107,800 shares of company stock worth $3,490,112. Corporate insiders own 8.19% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ CENT traded up $0.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $35.70. The company had a trading volume of 61,429 shares, compared to its average volume of 145,762. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $31.97 and a twelve month high of $43.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.34 billion, a PE ratio of 19.62 and a beta of 0.72. The stock's 50 day moving average is $35.39 and its 200-day moving average is $36.91.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $876.36 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Central Garden & Pet's revenue for the quarter was down 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.99 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.