Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $33.88 and traded as high as $36.29. Central Garden & Pet shares last traded at $35.81, with a volume of 79,364 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on CENT shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. CJS Securities upgraded Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.50.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $2.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.62 and a beta of 0.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $36.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 1.97.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $617.37 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $636.62 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.21 earnings per share. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total value of $108,485.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at $428,766.10. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 646 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,287. This trade represents a 85.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 8.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 1st quarter worth $7,347,000. Citadel Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 120.9% during the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 156,596 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,113,000 after buying an additional 85,706 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 39.2% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 259,144 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,500,000 after acquiring an additional 72,977 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 37.7% in the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 149,156 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,247,000 after acquiring an additional 40,803 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 107.3% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 76,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,454,000 after acquiring an additional 39,518 shares during the period. 16.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) is a leading North American specialty retailer, manufacturer and distributor serving the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets. The company operates through two primary segments: Pet and Garden. In the Pet segment, Central Garden & Pet offers a comprehensive range of products including pet food, treats, accessories, training products and habitat solutions for dogs, cats, birds, fish and small animals. The Garden segment encompasses a wide array of lawn, garden and outdoor living products, such as soils, fertilizers, planters, pest control solutions, landscape lighting and watering equipment.

Central Garden & Pet’s product portfolio includes both proprietary and branded offerings.