Monness Crespi & Hardt Raises Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Price Target to $42.00

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) had its target price boosted by Monness Crespi & Hardt from $39.00 to $42.00 in a research note released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 8th. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $44.25.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $40.23 on Thursday. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.02 and a 12-month high of $40.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of 18.07 and a beta of 0.70. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $35.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.01.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.14) by $0.15. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.49% and a return on equity of 11.30%. The firm had revenue of $634.53 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $620.11 million. Research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, CAO Howard Machek sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.40, for a total value of $182,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 59,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,162,378.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Nicholas Lahanas sold 13,101 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.64, for a total transaction of $493,121.64. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 115,796 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,358,561.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Howard Machek sold 5,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.40, for a total transaction of $182,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 59,406 shares in the company, valued at $2,162,378.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 25,822 shares of company stock valued at $965,026 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the first quarter worth $174,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 1st quarter valued at $194,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 1st quarter valued at $208,000. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $215,000. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.