Venturi Wealth Management LLC Invests $102,000 in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,093 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWM LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 72.6% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 39.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 12,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $397,000 after buying an additional 3,560 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 2.6% during the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 91,775 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,882,000 after acquiring an additional 2,352 shares in the last quarter. James Investment Research Inc. grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% in the third quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 30,302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $951,000 after acquiring an additional 5,712 shares during the period. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter worth about $413,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.00.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.1 %

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $32.05 on Monday. 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’s 50-day moving average is $32.27 and its 200-day moving average is $32.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.10 billion, a PE ratio of 17.61 and a beta of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $27.70 and a fifty-two week high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

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.