<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Westwood Holdings Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in Central Garden &amp; Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) by 2.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 849,509 shares of the company's stock after selling 23,792 shares during the quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. owned about 1.26% of Central Garden &amp; Pet worth $28,059,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Central Garden &amp; Pet</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><p>A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Central Garden &amp; Pet by 72.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 59,812 shares of the company's stock worth $1,976,000 after buying an additional 25,039 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in Central Garden &amp; Pet during the 2nd quarter valued at $96,000. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Central Garden &amp; Pet during the 2nd quarter valued at $341,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its stake in Central Garden &amp; Pet by 215.8% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 24,539 shares of the company's stock valued at $803,000 after purchasing an additional 16,768 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Central Garden &amp; Pet by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,653,753 shares of the company's stock valued at $120,682,000 after purchasing an additional 29,780 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. </p><h2>Analysts Set New Price Targets</h2><p>A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Argus raised Central Garden &amp; Pet to a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. StockNews.com lowered Central Garden &amp; Pet from a &#34;buy&#34; rating to a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a research note on Monday, July 1st. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Central Garden &amp; Pet to a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating in a research note on Monday, July 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. decreased their price target on Central Garden &amp; Pet from $38.00 to $34.00 and set a &#34;neutral&#34; rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of &#34;Buy&#34; and an average price target of $42.00.</p><p><b>Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on CENTA</b></p><h2>Insider Activity</h2><p>In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total value of $2,012,400.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,758,426.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Central Garden &amp; Pet news, Director John Ranelli sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total transaction of $85,700.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 822 shares of the company's stock, valued at $28,178.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total transaction of $2,012,400.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,125,773 shares in the company, valued at $37,758,426.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 63,986 shares of company stock worth $2,146,841 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Central Garden &amp; Pet Price Performance</h2><p>CENTA opened at $32.83 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $33.53 and a 200-day moving average of $34.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.72 and a beta of 0.73. Central Garden &amp; Pet has a 12-month low of $27.88 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. </p><p>Central Garden &amp; Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $996.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Central Garden &amp; Pet had a return on equity of 10.66% and a net margin of 4.42%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.40 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Central Garden &amp; Pet will post 2.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. </p><h2>Central Garden &amp; Pet Company Profile</h2> (Free Report)<p>Central Garden &amp; 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.</p><h2>Featured Stories</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Central Garden &amp; Pet</li><li>Are Penny Stocks a Good Fit for Your Portfolio?</li><li>Take Advantage of Village Farms Stock as Cannabis Market Evolves</li><li>What is a Dividend Harvesting Strategy and How Can Investors Profit from it?</li><li>MarketBeat Week in Review – 9/16 - 9/20</li><li>What Percentage Gainers Tell Investors and Why They Don’t Tell the Whole Story</li><li>Don’t Miss These 3 Retail Stocks for Fall Gains</li></ul><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9Q0VOVEE?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9Q0VOVEE"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><p>→ Is Starlink Set For The Largest IPO In History? <span><span>(From Paradigm Press)</span> <span>(Ad)</span></span><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/TriggeredCampaignPixel.ashx/query-UGxhY2VtZW50PU5hdGl2ZURpc3BsYXkmU291cmNlPU5hdGl2ZURpc3BsYXkmVHJpZ2dlcmVkQ2FtcGFpZ25JRD05NjAy?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" height="1" width="1" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/TriggeredCampaignPixel.ashx/query-UGxhY2VtZW50PU5hdGl2ZURpc3BsYXkmU291cmNlPU5hdGl2ZURpc3BsYXkmVHJpZ2dlcmVkQ2FtcGFpZ25JRD05NjAy"/></p><h2>Should you invest $1,000 in Central Garden &amp; Pet right now?</h2><p>Before you consider Central Garden &amp; Pet, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Central Garden &amp; Pet wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Central Garden &amp; Pet currently has a &#34;Buy&#34; rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p> </div>

CENTA

<p>Westwood Holdings Group Inc. reduced its stake in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) by 2.7% in Q2, now holding 849,509 shares. Other institutional investors have also adjusted their positions, with Sei Investments increasing its stake by 72%. Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with an average price target of $XX. Recent insider transactions include Chairman William E. Brown selling 60,000 shares. The stock opened at $XX.83, with a market cap of $XX.21 billion and a P/E ratio of 14.72.</p>

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Stake Lowered by Westwood Holdings Group Inc.