Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.55% and a net margin of 5.42%.The business had revenue of $882.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $882.96 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.56 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.850- EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Central Garden & Pet’s conference call:

• Fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance was raised to $2.85 or better, up from $2.70 or better, reflecting year-to-date performance and confidence in the fourth quarter.
• Organic sales increased 2% in the quarter, while operating margin expanded 90 basis points to 15.4%; Garden sales rose 3% and benefited from strength in fertilizer, Wild Bird, grass seed, and eCommerce.
• Management reported stabilization in Pet, with market-share gains in professional products, dog treats, rawhide, and flea and tick; online Pet sales grew 10% and Garden eCommerce sales increased more than 40%.
• Central agreed to acquire an 80% stake in European pet supplies company TRIXIE for up to €400 million, creating a broader global platform with potential long-term benefits from international growth, innovation, sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics synergies.
• Reported revenue fell 8% because of the exit from the lower-margin pet distribution business, though management expects limited earnings impact; the TRIXIE deal is expected to close in the first half of fiscal 2027 and is excluded from current guidance.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 1.3%

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $44.64 on Thursday. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $28.77 and a 1-year high of $45.78. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $42.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.98. The company has a market capitalization of $2.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.93 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 3.45, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on CENT. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their target price 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, May 7th. Zacks Research lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $54.00.

Trending Headlines about Central Garden & Pet

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 Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 67,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,175,000 after buying an additional 3,719 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at about $607,000. Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 14,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 95,406 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,067,000 after purchasing an additional 3,717 shares during the period. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 30.9% during the fourth quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 15,624 shares of the company’s stock worth $502,000 after purchasing an additional 3,690 shares during the period. Institutional investors 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.