Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Chairman William E. Brown Sells 7,800 Shares

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) Chairman William E. Brown sold 7,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.04, for a total value of $249,912.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 377,383 shares in the company, valued at $12,091,351.32. The trade was a 2.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

CENTA stock traded up $0.12 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $31.49. 295,263 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 318,611. The company has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.30 and a beta of 0.68. 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 50-day moving average of $31.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.07. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $37.31.

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, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $876.36 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 53.1% in the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,490 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 517 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter valued at $102,000. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% during the 4th 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 period. Finally, Summit Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock worth $180,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CENTA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Truist Financial restated a "hold" rating and issued a $35.00 price objective (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Three investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $33.00.

Central Garden & Pet Company 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.