Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Shares Gap Up – Here’s Why

by · The Markets Daily

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT – Get Free Report)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $32.82, but opened at $33.82. Central Garden & Pet shares last traded at $32.9210, with a volume of 10,561 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on CENT. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $50.00 target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $42.50.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.2%

The firm has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.89 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 2.33, a current ratio of 3.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $31.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 24th. The company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by $0.11. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.20% and a return on equity of 11.17%. The business had revenue of $678.18 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $657.86 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.18) EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 20.1% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 25,503 shares of the company’s stock worth $897,000 after buying an additional 369 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 20,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 16.1% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,827 shares of the company’s stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 4.8% in the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 12,949 shares of the company’s stock valued at $454,000 after buying an additional 589 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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