Denali Advisors LLC Buys New Shares in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 47,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,573,000. Denali Advisors LLC owned 0.07% of Central Garden & Pet as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CENTA. KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth $102,000. Quantbot Technologies LP raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,000 after acquiring an additional 2,791 shares during the period. Point72 DIFC Ltd raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 32.0% during the third quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 6,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $193,000 after acquiring an additional 1,492 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at about $194,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Two equities 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 MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of CENTA stock opened at $31.44 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.27 and a beta of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $32.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.18.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal 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.