Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) has been assigned an average rating of “Buy” from the five analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $41.33.

CENTA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped 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.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA opened at $33.79 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.86 and a beta of 0.73. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $30.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.24.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 30.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,636,319 shares of the company’s stock worth $208,093,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306,309 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.0% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 941,509 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,098,000 after buying an additional 283,045 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth $7,621,000. LSV Asset Management increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 85.8% during the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 439,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,502,000 after buying an additional 202,761 shares during the period. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,508,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.