The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Raises Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 9.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 691,092 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 59,368 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 1.03% of Central Garden & Pet worth $21,700,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,653,753 shares of the company’s stock valued at $120,682,000 after buying an additional 29,780 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 31.0% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 76,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,817,000 after acquiring an additional 18,047 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 215.8% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 24,539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $803,000 after acquiring an additional 16,768 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 25.4% in the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 53,918 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,991,000 after acquiring an additional 10,910 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,100,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,964,000 after purchasing an additional 38,077 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on CENTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $41.33.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $33.79 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $27.70 and a 1 year high of $41.03. The business’s 50-day moving average is $30.88 and its 200 day moving average is $33.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 3.66 and a quick ratio of 2.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.86 and a beta of 0.73.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides dog and cat supplies, such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and containment, grooming products, waste management, and training pads; supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles, and pet birds, including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.