Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation, two have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $40.75.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on CENTA shares. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. CJS Securities raised shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Central Garden & Pet to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $28.00 price target (down from $31.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Friday, January 16th.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA opened at $32.46 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 13.25 and a beta of 0.64. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $25.97 and a 1 year high of $37.35.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $617.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $636.62 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. On average, analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total value of $126,546.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 646 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,287. This represents a 85.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total value of $108,485.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at $428,766.10. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CENTA. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 533 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

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.