New York State Teachers Retirement System Sells 8,224 Shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

New York State Teachers Retirement System decreased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 7.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 102,027 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,224 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.15% of Central Garden & Pet worth $3,204,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Quarry LP boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 503.2% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 629 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the second quarter valued at $26,000. CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3,558.1% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,103 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the second quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 37.4% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 449 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 1,486 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.80, for a total value of $48,740.80. Following the transaction, the director now owns 40,743 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,336,370.40. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 1,125,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,758,426.42. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 1,486 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.80, for a total transaction of $48,740.80. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 40,743 shares in the company, valued at $1,336,370.40. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 63,986 shares of company stock worth $2,146,841. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on CENTA. StockNews.com lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $41.33.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

CENTA opened at $32.07 on Thursday. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $41.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.79 and a beta of 0.73. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $31.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.65.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.42% and a return on equity of 10.66%. The firm had revenue of $996.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.40 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides 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, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.