Two Sigma Advisers LP Buys Shares of 41,350 Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Two Sigma Advisers LP bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 41,350 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,367,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned approximately 0.06% of Central Garden & Pet as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barclays PLC increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,849,000 after buying an additional 75,718 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company's stock worth $119,000 after acquiring an additional 1,204 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 255,113 shares of the company's stock worth $8,431,000 after acquiring an additional 12,413 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,303,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Congress Asset Management Co. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 195,847 shares of the company's stock worth $6,473,000 after purchasing an additional 17,033 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.39, for a total value of $1,943,400.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 1,070,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $34,669,122.35. This represents a 5.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 107,800 shares of company stock worth $3,490,112. 20.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on CENTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Truist Financial reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $35.00 target price (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $33.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ CENTA traded down $0.41 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $31.08. The company's stock had a trading volume of 233,402 shares, compared to its average volume of 318,696. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $37.31. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $31.30 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The company has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.08 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 (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $833.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $876.36 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal 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.