Lazard Asset Management LLC Buys 49,201 Shares of Central Garden & Pet Company $CENTA

Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 67.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 121,655 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 49,201 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned 0.19% of Central Garden & Pet worth $3,944,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 33,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,071,000 after buying an additional 443 shares during the period. Aristides Capital LLC grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 8,436 shares of the company’s stock worth $249,000 after acquiring an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 30,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $996,000 after acquiring an additional 743 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 752 shares during the period. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.5% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 50,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,581,000 after purchasing an additional 771 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA opened at $37.91 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.45, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Central Garden & Pet Company has a 12 month low of $25.97 and a 12 month high of $39.99. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.34. The stock has a market cap of $2.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.79 and a beta of 0.57.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $906.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $846.58 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.42% and a return on equity of 11.55%. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on CENTA shares. Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Zacks Research cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.67.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

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.