XTX Topco Ltd Buys Shares of 13,775 Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 13,775 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $455,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter valued at about $102,000. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of 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. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position 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 buying an additional 325 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in 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 buying an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.6 %

Shares of CENTA stock traded down $0.50 on Friday, hitting $30.27. The company had a trading volume of 193,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 308,804. The firm has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.63 and a beta of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $27.70 and a twelve month high of $41.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. The stock's 50-day moving average is $31.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.87.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.