Cerity Partners LLC Has $627,000 Stock Position in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

Cerity Partners LLC reduced its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,953 shares of the company’s stock after selling 714 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Central Garden & Pet were worth $627,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at $102,000. KBC Group NV lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares during the period. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter worth $237,000. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 32.4% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 7,412 shares of the company’s stock valued at $245,000 after buying an additional 1,813 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 20.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $30.79 on Monday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $31.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.92 and a beta of 0.75. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.