Millennium Management LLC Sells 110,270 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Millennium Management LLC decreased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 63.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 64,806 shares of the company's stock after selling 110,270 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC owned approximately 0.10% of Central Garden & Pet worth $2,142,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CENTA. Highbridge Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% during the fourth quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 685,847 shares of the company's stock worth $22,667,000 after acquiring an additional 324,493 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,979,003 shares of the company's stock valued at $197,606,000 after purchasing an additional 306,449 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth about $8,245,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 14.1% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,373,100 shares of the company's stock worth $45,381,000 after buying an additional 170,121 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Credit Industriel ET Commercial acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth $4,818,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on CENTA shares. Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target (down from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $33.00.

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 stock was sold at an average price of $32.04, for a total transaction of $249,912.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 377,383 shares in the company, valued at $12,091,351.32. This represents a 2.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 107,800 shares of company stock worth $3,490,112. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 0.8%

Central Garden & Pet stock traded down $0.25 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $31.24. The stock had a trading volume of 103,539 shares, compared to its average volume of 317,770. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $37.31. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.07. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a PE ratio of 17.16 and a beta of 0.68.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.10. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. The firm had revenue of $833.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.36 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current 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.