Denali Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Central Garden & Pet Company $CENTA

Key Points

• Denali Advisors LLC opened a new position in Central Garden & Pet, buying 30,600 shares valued at about $893,000 in the fourth quarter.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.29 beating estimates of $1.08 and revenue of $906.15 million also topping expectations.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed but leans positive: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating with an average target price of $44.00, though JPMorgan still rates it underweight.

Denali Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 30,600 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $893,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 15.9% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,471 shares of the company's stock worth $605,000 after acquiring an additional 2,532 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 56.8% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 48,438 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 17,556 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 30,421 shares of the company's stock worth $996,000 after purchasing an additional 743 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 179.2% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 180,907 shares of the company's stock worth $5,921,000 after purchasing an additional 116,101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 263,518 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,625,000 after purchasing an additional 12,749 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $34.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.45 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.45. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $33.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $31.17. Central Garden & Pet Company has a one year low of $25.97 and a one year high of $37.71.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $906.15 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $846.58 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.55% and a net margin of 5.42%.Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. Equities analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.7 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Central Garden & Pet to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $44.00.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 646 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,287. The trade was a 85.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total transaction of $108,485.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at $428,766.10. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company 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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