Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.850- for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.950. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Zacks Research cut Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $54.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of CENT stock opened at $44.06 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $42.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.98. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $2.76 billion, a PE ratio of 16.02 and a beta of 0.61. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $28.77 and a 12-month high of $45.78.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $882.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.42% and a return on equity of 11.55%. The business’s revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.56 EPS. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Central Garden & Pet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Central Garden & Pet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings were $1.54 per share, ahead of analysts’ estimates ranging from $1.51 to $1.53. However, earnings were slightly below the $1.56 reported in the year-ago quarter. Central Garden Surpasses Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management signaled fiscal 2026 non-GAAP EPS of $2.85 or better, providing a floor for its outlook, while continuing to advance the TRIXIE transaction. The deal could support the company’s long-term pet-products portfolio and growth strategy. Central Garden Signals Fiscal 2026 EPS While Advancing TRIXIE Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue was $882.36 million, essentially in line with the $882.96 million consensus estimate. Net margin was 5.42% and return on equity was 11.55%. Central Garden Announces Q3 Fiscal 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell 8.2% year over year, while quarterly EPS also declined from the prior-year period, highlighting weaker demand or operating conditions. Central Garden Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: The fiscal 2026 EPS outlook of $2.85 or better is below the approximately $2.95 analyst consensus, which may weigh on valuation and investor expectations even though the quarter exceeded estimates. Central Garden Quarterly Earnings Report

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 632.3% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 841 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 152.3% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,920 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 1,159 shares in the last quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter worth $94,000. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth about $211,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) is a leading North American specialty retailer, manufacturer and distributor serving the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets. The company operates through two primary segments: Pet and Garden. In the Pet segment, Central Garden & Pet offers a comprehensive range of products including pet food, treats, accessories, training products and habitat solutions for dogs, cats, birds, fish and small animals. The Garden segment encompasses a wide array of lawn, garden and outdoor living products, such as soils, fertilizers, planters, pest control solutions, landscape lighting and watering equipment.

Central Garden & Pet’s product portfolio includes both proprietary and branded offerings.