Alliancebernstein L.P. Has $1.86 Million Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Alliancebernstein L.P. lowered its position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 56,134 shares of the company’s stock after selling 750 shares during the quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned approximately 0.09% of Central Garden & Pet worth $1,855,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of CENTA. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 18.3% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 50,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,583,000 after purchasing an additional 7,810 shares during the period. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,849,000 after acquiring an additional 75,718 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 154,071 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,113,000 after buying an additional 6,600 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 36.0% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 19,907 shares of the company’s stock worth $658,000 after purchasing an additional 5,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Olstein Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. now owns 77,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,545,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business’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 owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $30.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $27.70 and a fifty-two week high of $41.03. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.81. The company has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 16.92 and a beta of 0.75.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on CENTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Argus downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.00.

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.