Gotham Asset Management LLC Increases Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 131.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,668 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,451 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC's holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $551,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock worth $3,849,000 after buying an additional 75,718 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth $1,573,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 268,331 shares of the company's stock worth $8,868,000 after acquiring an additional 8,889 shares during the period. Highbridge Capital Management LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $22,667,000 after acquiring an additional 324,493 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at about $473,000. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of CENTA opened at $32.14 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $31.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.06. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $40.39. 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 firm has a market cap of $2.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.66 and a beta of 0.68.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.10. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. The business had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $876.36 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on CENTA shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Truist Financial restated a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" 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.

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