Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New Investment in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 63,248 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,090,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned about 0.10% of Central Garden & Pet at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of 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. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,622,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company's stock valued at $583,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,303,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the period. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,557,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $35.00 price target (down from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $33.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 1.6%

NASDAQ CENTA traded up $0.51 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $31.53. 477,831 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 320,060. The company's 50-day moving average is $31.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.06. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $27.70 and a one year high of $37.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. The company has a market capitalization of $2.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.32 and a beta of 0.68.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Central Garden & Pet 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 transaction of $249,912.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 377,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,091,351.32. This represents a 2.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last three months, insiders sold 107,800 shares of company stock valued at $3,490,112. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.