Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Shares Sold by Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank trimmed its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 2.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,101 shares of the company’s stock after selling 530 shares during the period. Commerce Bank’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $568,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quarry LP raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 503.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 754 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 629 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3,558.1% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,103 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado increased its position in 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.33.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $33.22 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.31 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a 50 day moving average of $30.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $33.27. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,758,426.42. This represents a 5.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.