Brokerages Set Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) PT at $40.50

Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) have received a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the six research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $40.50.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on CENTA shares. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Monness Crespi & Hardt increased their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 1st. Argus raised shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $40.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 1.6 %

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $34.04 on Tuesday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $27.88 and a 1-year high of $41.03. The company has a 50-day moving average of $34.73 and a 200 day moving average of $35.41. The firm has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a PE ratio of 15.26 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 3.33 and a quick ratio of 1.68.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.16. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.49% and a return on equity of 11.30%. The company had revenue of $900.09 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $895.68 million. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 4,218 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.31, for a total transaction of $170,027.58. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 85,063 shares in the company, valued at $3,428,889.53. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Howard Machek sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.05, for a total transaction of $400,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 51,474 shares in the company, valued at $2,061,533.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider John D. Walker III sold 4,218 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.31, for a total transaction of $170,027.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 85,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,428,889.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 714,218 shares of company stock worth $25,945,528 over the last 90 days. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3,558.1% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,134 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,103 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 449 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 1st quarter worth approximately $174,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides 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, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.