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

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.700- for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.770. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA traded up $0.59 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $31.81. 247,949 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 254,876. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $25.97 and a one year high of $37.35. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $29.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.59. The company has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.47 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 2.33, a current ratio of 3.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.09. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.17% and a net margin of 5.20%.Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. On average, analysts predict that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $28.00 price target (down previously from $31.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CENTA. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 817 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 239.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,220 shares of the company’s stock worth $195,000 after buying an additional 4,388 shares in the last quarter. Vestcor Inc acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth $208,000. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 8,436 shares of the company’s stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 623 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.