Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO (CENT)

170 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in CENT. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +13
Streak
1Q ▲
Buyers last Q
56%

Smart Money Signals — CENT

Based on 171 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds added CENT than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (98% of max)

98% of all-time peak
171 hedge funds hold CENT right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding CENT is almost the same as a year ago (+0 funds, +0% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 56% buying

87 buying68 selling
Last quarter: 87 funds bought or added vs 68 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
📈

More new buyers each quarter (+11 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new CENT position: 23 → 17 → 16 → 27. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔒

61% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 61% conviction (2yr+) ■ 21% medium ■ 18% new
104 out of 171 hedge funds have held CENT for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
➡️

Steady discovery — ~27 new funds/quarter

39 → 23 → 17 → 16 → 27 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 23 → 17 → 16 → 27. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.
🏛️

Deep conviction — 65% of holders stayed 2+ years

■ 65% veterans ■ 12% 1-2yr ■ 24% new
Of 173 current holders: 112 (65%) have held for over 2 years without selling. These are not momentum buyers — they have lived through drawdowns and stayed. A large veteran base acts as a stabilizing force during selloffs.
✅

Strong quality — 35% AUM from major funds

35% from top-100 AUM funds
38 of 171 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 35% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
3.4
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.4/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — CENT

In 2026 Q1, 87 hedge funds were net buyers of CENT (27 opened a new position, 60 added to an existing one), while 68 reduced or exited (54 trimmed, 14 sold completely) — a 56% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. 35% of total institutional value in CENT is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +13 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 171.

Hedge Fund Ownership: CENT

How many hedge funds hold CENT — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of CENT vs. share price

Market Analysis: CENT

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: CENT

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO (CENT) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much CENT has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLP) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 65d ago
CENT
+5.5%
XLP
-0.2%

CENT outperformed XLP by +5.7% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 20d ago
CENT
-0.3%
XLP
-3.3%

Since the filing became public, CENT outperformed XLP by +3.0% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

19 top-rated funds 0 high-conviction
Consensus
5.6
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
0.6
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: CENT
170 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in CENT. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 170 158 7.59%
13F Shares 9M 9M -2.62%
Total Value $320M $293M 9.39%
New Positions 26 16 +10
Increased Positions 59 56 +3
Closed Positions 14 17 -3
Reduced Positions 53 60 -7
Total Calls 2 1 100.0%
Total Puts 0 1 -100.0%
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.0 1.0 Bullish

Statistics: CENT

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Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

170 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in CENT. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 institutional holders of CENT — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Orchard Capital Management, LLC 1.70% 44,381 $1.6M
2 Stenger Family Office, LLC 1.18% 23,841 $6.7M
3 MARTIN & CO INC /TN/ 0.42% 67,560 $2.5M
4 VARCOV Co. 0.25% 18,115 $666K
5 R Squared Ltd 0.17% 8,241 $303K
6 CSM Advisors, LLC 0.16% 180,060 $7K
7 Values First Advisors, Inc. 0.16% 8,301 $305K
8 RBF Capital, LLC 0.14% 72,176 $2.7M
9 BRIDGEWAY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC 0.07% 99,987 $3.7M
10 North Star Investment Management Corp. 0.07% 32,075 $1.2M
11 CONTRAVISORY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC. 0.05% 7,050 $259K
12 Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC 0.05% 803,595 $29.3M
13 Inspire Investing, LLC 0.04% 13,904 $511K
14 TWO SIGMA SECURITIES, LLC 0.03% 6,423 $236K
15 State of Wyoming 0.03% 5,878 $216K
16 GW&K Investment Management, LLC 0.03% 78,373 $3K
17 ROYCE & ASSOCIATES LP 0.02% 66,835 $2.5M
18 AlphaQuest LLC 0.02% 10,577 $340K
19 Empowered Funds, LLC 0.02% 77,792 $2.9M
20 HOTCHKIS & WILEY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 0.02% 153,640 $5.6M
21 Cambria Investment Management, L.P. 0.02% 7,808 $287K
22 TOKIO MARINE ASSET MANAGEMENT CO LTD 0.02% 12,100 $445K
23 XTX Topco Ltd 0.02% 23,887 $878K
24 Brooklyn Investment Group 0.01% 13,024 $479K
25 Engineers Gate Manager LP 0.01% 23,245 $855K
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO (CENT)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for CENT?

Buying streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds added CENT than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for CENT?

Slight buying edge — 56% buying: Last quarter: 87 funds bought or added vs 68 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for CENT holders?

Strong quality — 35% AUM from major funds: 38 of 171 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 35% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held CENT?

61% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 104 out of 171 hedge funds have held CENT for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO (CENT) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, CENT has moved -0.3% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to -3.3% for the XLP sector ETF — an outperformance of +3.0%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), CENT has gained +5.5% vs -0.2% for XLP. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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