Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Issues Earnings Results

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.03, Zacks reports. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.55% and a net margin of 5.42%. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.850- EPS.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 0.3%

CENTA traded down $0.11 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $38.54. The company had a trading volume of 202,700 shares, compared to its average volume of 309,014. The stock has a market cap of $2.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.01 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.49. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $25.97 and a 52 week high of $39.99. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 239.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,220 shares of the company’s stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 4,388 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vestcor Inc purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth about $208,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on CENTA shares. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Zacks Research lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.67.

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.