Amundi Boosts Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Amundi grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 190.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 26,407 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,323 shares during the quarter. Amundi’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $809,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 33.8% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 76,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,399,000 after purchasing an additional 19,306 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,849,000 after acquiring an additional 75,718 shares during the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,573,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,637,000. Finally, Congress Asset Management Co. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 9.5% in the fourth quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 195,847 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,473,000 after acquiring an additional 17,033 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ CENTA opened at $32.36 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.78 and a beta of 0.70. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $31.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.98. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $27.70 and a 1-year high of $41.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its earnings results 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%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CENTA has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company 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.