Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Raises Stake in Central Garden & Pet Company $CENTA

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 176.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 204,824 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 130,659 shares during the quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.33% of Central Garden & Pet worth $5,979,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. LSV Asset Management boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 209.2% in the 3rd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,384,619 shares of the company's stock worth $40,888,000 after buying an additional 936,852 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 181.2% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 549,355 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,222,000 after purchasing an additional 354,016 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 1,109.1% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 196,777 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,811,000 after purchasing an additional 180,503 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 237.5% during the third quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 211,600 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,249,000 after purchasing an additional 148,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 8.1% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,892,120 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,874,000 after purchasing an additional 142,319 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Central Garden & Pet to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $41.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total transaction of $108,485.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 12,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $428,766.10. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total value of $126,546.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 646 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,287. This trade represents a 85.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 1.5%

CENTA stock opened at $34.24 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company's 50 day moving average is $33.22 and its 200 day moving average is $30.88. The stock has a market cap of $2.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.98 and a beta of 0.58. Central Garden & Pet Company has a 1-year low of $25.97 and a 1-year high of $37.35.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $617.37 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $636.62 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Central Garden & Pet Profile

Central Garden & Pet Co is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of branded consumable gardening products and pet supplies in North America. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the company serves both retail and wholesale customers through a network of distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Operating under the ticker symbol CENTA on the NASDAQ exchange, Central Garden & Pet has been publicly traded since 2003.

The company's Garden segment offers a broad portfolio of lawn and garden care solutions, including fertilizers, weed and pest control products, soil and mulch, and plant care accessories.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.