Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Share Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened
by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets DailyCentral Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT – Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $40.47 and traded as high as $40.63. Central Garden & Pet shares last traded at $40.05, with a volume of 227,393 shares traded.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
CENT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $54.00.
View Our Latest Analysis on CENT
Central Garden & Pet Price Performance
The company has a current ratio of 3.79, a quick ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $43.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $40.47. The stock has a market cap of $2.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.94 and a beta of 0.62.
Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $883.72 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.39% and a return on equity of 11.13%. Central Garden & Pet’s revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.56 earnings per share. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity
In other news, insider John Walker, III sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.50, for a total value of $192,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 64,679 shares in the company, valued at $2,490,141.50. This trade represents a 7.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 8.20% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 59.5% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 181,787 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,684,000 after buying an additional 67,800 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,156,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,613,000. Stenger Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 1st quarter worth about $877,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 2nd quarter worth about $650,000. 16.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Central Garden & Pet
Central Garden & Pet Company is a consumer products company that develops, manufactures and distributes products for the pet and garden markets. The company serves pet owners, gardeners and lawn-care customers through a portfolio of branded and private-label products sold through mass merchants, specialty retailers, garden centers, independent stores and e-commerce channels.
Its pet-related offerings include food, treats, toys, habitats, bedding, grooming products, animal health products and supplies for dogs, cats, birds, small animals, reptiles and aquatic pets.
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