Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Stock Crosses Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA)’s share price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $35.86 and traded as low as $35.01. Central Garden & Pet shares last traded at $35.53, with a volume of 342,422 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research downgraded 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 target price on Central Garden & Pet from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Wall Street Zen cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.67.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 1.1%

The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 2.67 and a current ratio of 3.79. The firm has a market cap of $2.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.45 and a beta of 0.63.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $882.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.13% and a net margin of 5.39%. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John Walker, III sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.50, for a total value of $192,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 64,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,490,141.50. This represents a 7.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter worth about $44,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 577.9% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,410 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2,301.5% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 1,609 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 1,542 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 96.3% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 910 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 342.7% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,351 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 1,820 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a marketer and manufacturer of products for the pet and lawn-and-garden industries. The company sells a broad portfolio of branded and private-label products through retailers, distributors, e-commerce channels and other outlets.

Its pet segment offers food, treats, toys, bedding, habitats, aquatics products, grooming supplies, training products and other accessories for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles and small animals. Its brands include Nylabone, Kaytee, Amdro, Adams, Four Paws, K&H Pet Products, Comfort Zone, Chuckit! and Nature’s Miracle, among others.

Central Garden & Pet’s garden business provides lawn and garden care products, including grass seed, fertilizers, insect and weed control products, garden supplies, decorative products and live goods.