Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Reaches New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $38.15 and last traded at $37.6090, with a volume of 7830 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $36.78.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.9%

The firm has a market cap of $2.35 billion, a PE ratio of 13.68 and a beta of 0.59. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $34.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.28. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $906.15 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $846.58 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.42% and a return on equity of 11.55%. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CENTA. Orchard Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 3.3% during the third quarter. Orchard Capital Management LLC now owns 11,029 shares of the company’s stock worth $326,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 40.0% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 1.4% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 33,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,071,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the period. Aristides Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 8,436 shares of the company’s stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 11,903 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.