AlphaQuest LLC Has $163,000 Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

AlphaQuest LLC lowered its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 80.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,192 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,666 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $163,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in CENT. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares during the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 193.8% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 4,201 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,000 after purchasing an additional 2,771 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 29.0% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,016 shares during the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth about $258,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CENT has been the topic of several research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 8.19% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.2 %

CENT stock opened at $36.68 on Tuesday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $32.17 and a 1-year high of $47.48. The firm has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.15 and a beta of 0.73. The business’s 50 day moving average is $36.77 and its 200-day moving average is $37.23. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) 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 return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. Equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Central Garden & Pet Profile

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.