Teacher Retirement System of Texas Takes Position in Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 7,784 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $255,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $180,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,048 shares of the company's stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 398 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company's stock worth $1,622,000 after buying an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company's stock worth $3,557,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock worth $216,000 after buying an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on 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, Truist Financial reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target (down from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 7,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.04, for a total value of $249,912.00. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 377,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,091,351.32. This represents a 2.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 107,800 shares of company stock valued at $3,490,112. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA traded up $0.95 on Tuesday, reaching $36.95. The company had a trading volume of 143,581 shares, compared to its average volume of 339,774. Central Garden & Pet Company has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $37.31. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $32.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $876.36 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.14% and a net margin of 3.90%. On average, equities analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

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.