Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Shares Sold by Invesco Ltd.

Invesco Ltd. lowered its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 28.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 390,426 shares of the company's stock after selling 156,954 shares during the quarter. Invesco Ltd. owned 0.60% of Central Garden & Pet worth $12,904,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,622,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% during 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 in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company's stock worth $5,303,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock valued at $216,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.6 %

NASDAQ:CENTA traded down $0.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $30.27. The company's stock had a trading volume of 193,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 308,804. 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 stock has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.63 and a beta of 0.75. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $31.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $31.87. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. On average, equities analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENTA has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $41.00.

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.