Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Shares Sold by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) by 11.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,563 shares of the company’s stock after selling 346 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $99,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of CENT. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 1,089 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 395 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position 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 last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at $258,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,060 shares of the company’s stock worth $330,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENT opened at $34.48 on Wednesday. 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 12 month low of $32.17 and a 12 month high of $47.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.95 and a beta of 0.73. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $36.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $37.08.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 8.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on CENT shares. Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target 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.