Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Has $397,000 Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 39.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,650 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,560 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $397,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CENTA. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 30.2% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,636,319 shares of the company’s stock worth $208,093,000 after buying an additional 1,306,309 shares during the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 24.8% during the first quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,303,369 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,040,000 after buying an additional 457,699 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.0% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 941,509 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,098,000 after buying an additional 283,045 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC grew its position in Central Garden & Pet by 24.9% during the first quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,090,060 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,245,000 after buying an additional 217,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 202,761 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on CENTA. StockNews.com downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $41.33.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ CENTA opened at $31.75 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $27.70 and a 1-year high of $41.03. The company has a 50 day moving average of $30.99 and a 200-day moving average of $33.59. The company has a current ratio of 3.66, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The firm has a market cap of $2.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.64 and a beta of 0.73.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 1,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director now owns 40,743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,336,370.40. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total value of $85,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,178.16. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brooks Pennington III sold 1,486 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was 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 trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 63,986 shares of company stock valued at $2,146,841 in the last 90 days. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.