Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Share Price Passes Below 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA)’s stock price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $31.03 and traded as low as $29.24. Central Garden & Pet shares last traded at $29.68, with a volume of 162,378 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.50.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 3.67, a quick ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.64 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $29.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.03.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.20) by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $678.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $657.86 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.17% and a net margin of 5.20%.Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet Company will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 533 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 152.1% during the 2nd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 733 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EMC Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $87,000. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.