The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Sells 327,494 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company trimmed its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 47.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 363,598 shares of the company's stock after selling 327,494 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 0.55% of Central Garden & Pet worth $12,017,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. 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 last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during 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 grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company's stock valued at $583,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 160,457 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,303,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,637 shares of the company's stock worth $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of CENTA stock traded up $0.42 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $30.72. The company had a trading volume of 351,866 shares, compared to its average volume of 317,169. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $27.70 and a 1-year high of $41.03. The company has a 50 day moving average of $31.36 and a 200 day moving average of $31.94. The firm has a market cap of $2.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.88 and a beta of 0.68.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $876.36 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on CENTA shares. Truist Financial reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $35.00 target price (down from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. StockNews.com lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average 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.