Amundi Buys 2,771 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Amundi grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 193.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 4,201 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,771 shares during the quarter. Amundi’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $151,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 29.0% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,016 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $258,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $272,000. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 8.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 7.3 %

Shares of CENT opened at $33.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.50 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $32.17 and a one year high of $47.48. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.16.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping 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, sell-side analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CENT shares. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.00.

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.