The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Has $17.91 Million Holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its holdings in Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Rating) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 500,283 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,249 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.93% of Central Garden & Pet worth $17,910,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 44.5% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 12,340 shares of the company's stock worth $503,000 after buying an additional 3,801 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the first quarter worth $455,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 7,797 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 1,242 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 3,823 shares during the last quarter. 69.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 1,399 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.75, for a total transaction of $48,615.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 81,394 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,828,441.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $36.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 3.47. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $33.69 and a 52-week high of $43.17. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $36.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $37.39. The firm has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.40 and a beta of 0.69.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. TheStreet raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $60.00 to $45.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $44.75.

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, and garden and pet supplies markets. It operates through the following segments: Pets and Garden. The Pet segment includes dog and cat supplies such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and grooming products, waste management and training pads, pet containment, supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles and pet birds including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish and small animals as well as outdoor cushions.

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