Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average of $34.68

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) shares crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $34.68 and traded as high as $40.08. Central Garden & Pet shares last traded at $39.74, with a volume of 62,257 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CENT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group initiated coverage on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Tuesday, March 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $52.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group initiated coverage on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Tuesday, March 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $52.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Friday, March 1st.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 0.9 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.68. The company has a market cap of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.67 and a beta of 0.72.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.14) by $0.15. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.32% and a net margin of 4.06%. The company had revenue of $634.53 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $620.11 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.34, for a total value of $92,016.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 41 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,571.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.34, for a total value of $92,016.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 41 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,571.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Howard Machek sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.40, for a total transaction of $182,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 59,406 shares in the company, valued at $2,162,378.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 25,822 shares of company stock valued at $965,026 in the last 90 days. 9.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CENT. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 41.4% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 959 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 43.5% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 660 shares in the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $98,000. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 180.9% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,242 shares of the company’s stock valued at $121,000 after purchasing an additional 2,088 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at about $148,000. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.