Maven Securities LTD Invests $879,000 in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Maven Securities LTD purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 26,605 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $879,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $102,000. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company's stock valued at $119,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of 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. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,538 shares of the company's stock worth $216,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $32.03. 38,287 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 330,019. The business has a 50-day moving average of $31.29 and a 200-day moving average of $32.04. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $40.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.60 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.36 million. As a group, analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. StockNews.com cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $35.00 price objective (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $33.00.

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.