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

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of 2.700- for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 2.840. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $54.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 0.8%

CENT stock traded down $0.29 during trading on Friday, reaching $38.24. 13,740 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 75,958. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $37.33 and its 200 day moving average is $34.74. The firm has a market cap of $2.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.89 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a twelve month low of $28.77 and a twelve month high of $41.53.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.21. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.67% and a net margin of 5.42%.The firm had revenue of $906.15 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $846.58 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.04 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.83 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total value of $108,485.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at $428,766.10. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 646 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,287. The trade was a 85.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 8.20% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and “record” quarter — CENT reported $1.29 EPS vs. ~$1.08 consensus and revenue of $906.2M (up 8.7% YoY); management said margins and operating performance improved. This strong print and slide deck reinforce the company’s operational momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher price target — Canaccord raised its rating to Buy and lifted the price target from $51 to $54, signaling notable upside versus current levels and providing third‑party validation for the beat. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance maintained at “non-GAAP EPS of $2.70 or better” — management reiterated FY2026 non‑GAAP EPS of $2.70+ while providing detail on drivers; the guide is explicit but leaves room for outcomes tied to JV timing and execution. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full materials available — earnings call transcript and slide presentation published (useful for investors wanting management commentary on margins, categories and the JV). Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Joint-venture revenue drag expected in 2H — management/coverage notes indicate a joint venture will reduce reported second-half revenue by a low‑teens percentage, a headwind that clouds back‑half growth visibility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: FY guide below street consensus — the firm’s EPS guidance (~$2.70) sits under the average analyst estimate (~$2.84), prompting concern that upside from the quarter may be offset by conservative forward expectations. Read More.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.5% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 25,503 shares of the company’s stock worth $897,000 after purchasing an additional 369 shares during the period. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,520 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,399,000 after buying an additional 411 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 14,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 4.8% in the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 12,949 shares of the company’s stock worth $454,000 after buying an additional 589 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 632.3% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 974 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 841 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.