Zacks Research Issues Positive Forecast for CENT Earnings

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT) – Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued on Wednesday, February 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $1.08 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.06. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Central Garden & Pet’s current full-year earnings is $2.38 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Central Garden & Pet’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.59 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.84 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.10 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.62 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.20 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.95 EPS.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.10. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. The business had revenue of $617.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $636.62 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.21 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. CJS Securities raised shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.50.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of CENT opened at $39.08 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $28.77 and a 12 month high of $41.25. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $33.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The stock has a market cap of $2.43 billion, a PE ratio of 15.95 and a beta of 0.73.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total value of $108,485.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $428,766.10. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 8.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,100,839 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,942,000 after acquiring an additional 32,716 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 808,304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,825,000 after purchasing an additional 4,178 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 385,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,409,000 after purchasing an additional 3,306 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 39.2% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 259,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,500,000 after buying an additional 72,977 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 9.4% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 258,868 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,107,000 after buying an additional 22,187 shares during the period. 16.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple EPS estimates across 2026–2028 (Q1, Q2, Q3 and full-year updates), lifting FY2026 from $2.75 to $2.84 and FY2028 to $2.95 — suggesting analysts expect better near-term margins/cash conversion. (This is a primary reason for upside pressure on the stock.)
• Positive Sentiment: Central boosted its share buyback authorization by $100M, citing undervaluation and strong cash reserves — a direct capital-return action that typically supports the share price and signals management confidence. Central Garden & Pet Company Ups Share Buyback Authorization
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks retained a “Hold” rating despite the estimate increases — upgrades in models improve fundamentals but the unchanged rating tempers immediate analyst-driven upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will participate in investor conferences (including a March J.P. Morgan session) — useful for longer-term visibility and institutional interest but not an immediate catalyst. Central Garden & Pet to Participate in Investor Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: A reported “large increase” in short interest contains inconsistent/zero values (data glitch), so it provides no clear bearish signal at this time.

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.