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

Millennium Management LLC trimmed its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 63.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (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 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Highbridge Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% during the 4th quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 685,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,667,000 after acquiring an additional 324,493 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 306,449 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at $8,245,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,373,100 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,381,000 after purchasing an additional 170,121 shares during the period. Finally, Credit Industriel ET Commercial acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at $4,818,000. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $31.02. The company had a trading volume of 376,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 319,103. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $37.31. 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 $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 17.04 and a beta of 0.68. The stock's 50 day moving average is $31.26 and its 200-day moving average is $32.06.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $833.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $876.36 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 40,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.42, for a total value of $1,296,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 1,030,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at $33,404,433.30. This trade represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 107,800 shares of company stock valued at $3,490,112. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on CENTA. Truist Financial reissued a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 target price (down from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Three investment 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $33.00.

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.