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The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Value Investor model based on the published strategy of Benjamin Graham. This deep value methodology screens for stocks that have low P/B and P/E ratios, along with low debt and solid long-term earnings growth.

CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO (CENT) is a mid-cap value stock in the Food Processing industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham changed from 71% to 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Central Garden & Pet Company is engaged in the garden and pet industries in the United States. Its segments include Pet and Garden. Its 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. These products are sold under brands such as Aqueon, Cadet, Comfort Zone, Farnam, Four Paws K&H Pet Products (K&H), Kaytee, Nylabone and Zilla. Its Garden segment includes lawn and garden consumables such as grass seed, vegetable, flower and herb packet seed; wild bird feed, bird houses and other birding accessories; weed, grass, and other herbicides, insecticide and pesticide products; fertilizers and live plants.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO

CENT Guru Analysis

CENT Fundamental Analysis

MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC (MSM) is a mid-cap value stock in the Misc. Capital Goods industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham changed from 71% to 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. is a North American distributor of a range of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services. Its range of MRO products includes cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components, metalworking products, fasteners, flat stock, raw materials, abrasives, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components and electrical supplies. It serves a range of customers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, from individual machine shops to manufacturing companies to government agencies, such as the United States General Services Administration and the United States Department of Defense. It operates a network of six customer fulfillment centers, 10 regional inventory centers and 41 warehouses. The Company's customer fulfillment centers have various locations in the United States.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO INC

MSM Guru Analysis

MSM Fundamental Analysis

Benjamin Graham Portfolio

Top Benjamin Graham Stocks

About Benjamin Graham: The late Benjamin Graham may be the oldest of the gurus we follow, but his impact on the investing world has lasted for decades after his death in 1976. Known as both the "Father of Value Investing" and the founder of the entire field of security analysis, Graham mentored several of history's greatest investors -- including Warren Buffett -- and inspired a slew of others, including John Templeton, Mario Gabelli, and another of Validea's gurus, John Neff. Graham built his fortune and reputation after living through some extremely difficult times, including both the Great Depression and his own family's financial woes following his father's death when Benjamin was a young man. His investment firm posted per annum returns of about 20 percent from 1936 to 1956, far outpacing the 12.2 percent average return for the market during that time.

About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.