UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Has $3.67 Million Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 23.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 111,167 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 21,125 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned about 0.17% of Central Garden & Pet worth $3,674,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at about $102,000. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company's stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 1,204 shares during the period. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $180,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock worth $216,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENTA has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Truist Financial restated a "hold" rating and issued a $35.00 price target (down from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on 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. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $33.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.39, for a total transaction of $1,943,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,070,365 shares in the company, valued at $34,669,122.35. This represents a 5.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 107,800 shares of company stock worth $3,490,112. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA traded up $0.51 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $31.53. The stock had a trading volume of 477,831 shares, compared to its average volume of 320,539. The company's 50-day moving average price is $31.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.06. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $27.70 and a fifty-two week high of $37.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $2.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.32 and a beta of 0.68.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $833.54 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $876.36 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.