XTX Topco Ltd Invests $550,000 in Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT)

XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 15,004 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $550,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of CENT. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,474,313 shares of the company's stock worth $57,203,000 after acquiring an additional 125,418 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the first quarter worth approximately $1,046,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 59,603 shares of the company's stock worth $2,313,000 after buying an additional 24,375 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 14.5% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 186,167 shares of the company's stock worth $7,223,000 after buying an additional 23,622 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 796,917 shares of the company's stock worth $30,920,000 after purchasing an additional 22,703 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 16.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Truist Financial cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.39, for a total value of $1,943,400.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 1,070,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at $34,669,122.35. The trade was a 5.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, 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 8.19% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 2.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:CENT traded down $0.99 during trading on Friday, reaching $34.09. 86,909 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 70,588. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.42. The firm has a market cap of $2.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.50 and a beta of 0.70. Central Garden & Pet Company has a 1-year low of $31.97 and a 1-year high of $43.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 3.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $960.91 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $993.66 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.44% and a return on equity of 10.77%. The business's revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.38 earnings per share 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.