JPMorgan Chase & Co. Lowers Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Price Target to $32.00

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) had its price objective lowered by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $33.00 to $32.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “underweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target points to a potential downside of 8.15% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Central Garden & Pet to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $41.75.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA stock opened at $34.84 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $25.97 and a 12-month high of $37.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.22 and a beta of 0.58. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.61. 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:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.10. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.99% and a net margin of 5.04%.The business had revenue of $617.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $636.62 million. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total transaction of $108,485.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $428,766.10. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,287. The trade was a 85.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% in the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 817 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Co is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of branded consumable gardening products and pet supplies in North America. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the company serves both retail and wholesale customers through a network of distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Operating under the ticker symbol CENTA on the NASDAQ exchange, Central Garden & Pet has been publicly traded since 2003.

The company’s Garden segment offers a broad portfolio of lawn and garden care solutions, including fertilizers, weed and pest control products, soil and mulch, and plant care accessories.