Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Short Interest Up 5.2% in January

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 948,400 shares, a growth of 5.2% from the January 15th total of 901,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 293,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.2 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on CENTA shares. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

CENTA stock traded down $0.26 on Monday, reaching $33.25. 296,065 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 238,504. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $27.70 and a 12 month high of $41.03. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $32.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.18 billion, a PE ratio of 18.27 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 2.19.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This represents a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Wyoming increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 66.6% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 8,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 3,563 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 44.4% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 15,708 shares of the company’s stock worth $519,000 after purchasing an additional 4,827 shares in the last quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,922,000. Numerai GP LLC acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth approximately $237,000. Finally, Maven Securities LTD acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth approximately $879,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, garden, and pet supplies markets. It operates through the Pet and Garden segments. The Pet segment focuses on 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, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish and small animals as well as outdoor cushions.