Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Stock Price Passes Below 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA)’s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $35.60 and traded as low as $34.26. Central Garden & Pet shares last traded at $34.57, with a volume of 714,117 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CENTA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.67.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 1.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 3.79 and a quick ratio of 2.67. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $37.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.60. The company has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a PE ratio of 12.90 and a beta of 0.59.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.03. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.39% and a return on equity of 11.13%. The business had revenue of $882.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS. On average, analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, insider John Walker, III sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.50, for a total transaction of $192,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 64,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,490,141.50. The trade was a 7.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CENTA. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 39.4% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 106,460 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,451,000 after buying an additional 30,075 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 69.7% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 76,990 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,496,000 after buying an additional 31,622 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,012,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,821,000 after purchasing an additional 47,980 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 28.4% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 140,311 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,549,000 after buying an additional 31,009 shares during the period. Finally, Systematic Financial Management LP boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 320.0% during the 4th quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 21,125 shares of the company’s stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 16,095 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Company is a marketer and manufacturer of branded products for the pet and lawn-and-garden markets. The company sells its products through retailers, distributors, e-commerce channels and other outlets, serving consumers, pet owners and gardening customers primarily in the United States.

Its pet portfolio includes products for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, small animals and other companion animals. Offerings include pet food, treats, toys, chews, bedding, habitats, aquatics products, waste-management products and animal health and wellness items.