Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on CENTA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.00.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $37.76 on Monday. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $25.97 and a 52 week high of $38.76. The company has a market capitalization of $2.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.73 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50-day moving average of $34.46 and a 200-day moving average of $32.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.45.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter worth about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% in 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 last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 577.9% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 1,410 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.