Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA – Get Free Report) announced a — dividend on Friday, December 22nd, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 8th will be given a dividend of 25.00 per share on Thursday, February 8th. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 9th.
Central Garden & Pet Price Performance
CENTA traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $43.52. The company had a trading volume of 265,200 shares, compared to its average volume of 179,177. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.73. The company has a market capitalization of $2.34 billion, a PE ratio of 18.52 and a beta of 0.60. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $33.77 and a twelve month high of $45.93. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $39.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.21.
Central Garden & Pet shares are scheduled to split before the market opens on Friday, January 5th. The 5-4 split was announced on Friday, January 5th. The newly created shares will be distributed to shareholders after the closing bell on Friday, January 5th.
Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 20th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $750.15 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $731.81 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.80% and a return on equity of 9.93%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.04) earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several brokerages have commented on CENTA. StockNews.com raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. TheStreet downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.33.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.22, for a total transaction of $101,416.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 146 shares in the company, valued at $5,288.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Central Garden & Pet news, insider John Edward Hanson sold 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.23, for a total transaction of $235,380.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 34,508 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,353,748.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 2,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.22, for a total transaction of $101,416.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 146 shares in the company, valued at $5,288.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of CENTA. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 44.5% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 12,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after purchasing an additional 3,801 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the first quarter worth about $455,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 58.2% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 21,193 shares of the company’s stock worth $864,000 after acquiring an additional 7,797 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 1.1% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 113,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,621,000 after acquiring an additional 1,242 shares during the period. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 11.8% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 36,296 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,480,000 after acquiring an additional 3,823 shares during the period. 67.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Central Garden & Pet Company Profile
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.