CenterBook Partners LP Acquires New Shares in Central Garden & Pet Company $CENTA

CenterBook Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 28,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $945,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at $304,000. ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter worth about $232,000. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter worth about $368,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 28.6% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,945 shares of the company’s stock worth $166,000 after purchasing an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 11.7% during the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 46,136 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,546,000 after purchasing an additional 4,835 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 0.8%

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $41.20 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.47. Central Garden & Pet Company has a 52-week low of $27.41 and a 52-week high of $42.44. The company has a market cap of $2.58 billion, a PE ratio of 15.37 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 2.67 and a current ratio of 3.79.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on CENTA shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. 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. raised their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.67.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet is a consumer products company focused on the pet and lawn and garden markets. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, it supplies products to retailers, distributors and consumers, primarily in North America. Its Pet segment offers products for animals including dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles and small animals. Brands in its portfolio include Aqueon, Kaytee, Nylabone, Chuckit! and Zilla, with products ranging from pet food and treats to toys, habitats and health supplies.