Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Cuts Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lessened its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 40,199 shares of the company’s stock after selling 641 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $1,329,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. FMR LLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 33.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 76,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,399,000 after purchasing an additional 19,306 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 75,718 shares during the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,573,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 268,331 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 8,889 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth $1,637,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on CENTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of 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. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.6 %

CENTA stock opened at $32.12 on Monday. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $27.70 and a fifty-two week high of $41.03. The stock has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a PE ratio of 17.65 and a beta of 0.70. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $31.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) 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 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.