Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

CENTA has been the topic of several other research reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Central Garden & Pet to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. CJS Securities raised shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $28.00 price target (down from $31.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $40.75.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $33.45 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $30.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.49. The company has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.65 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $25.97 and a 12-month high of $37.35.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter worth about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 817 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 152.1% during the 2nd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 733 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

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.