Research Analysts Offer Predictions for CENTA Q4 Earnings

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) – Zacks Research dropped their Q4 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings per share of ($0.04) for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.05. 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 Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.02) EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.88 EPS.

CENTA has been the topic of several other reports. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $28.00 price target (down from $31.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Friday, January 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Central Garden & Pet to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, CJS Securities raised shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $40.75.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 0.6%

CENTA stock opened at $35.00 on Monday. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $25.97 and a one year high of $37.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.42. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $30.87 and its 200 day moving average is $30.44. The firm has a market cap of $2.18 billion, a PE ratio of 14.29 and a beta of 0.67.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $636.62 million. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total value of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 646 shares in the company, valued at $22,287. This represents a 85.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, 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 transaction of $108,485.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $428,766.10. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 20.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 19.8% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 16,233 shares of the company’s stock worth $474,000 after purchasing an additional 2,679 shares during the last quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 12.6% during the fourth quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 41,943 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,286,000 after acquiring an additional 4,684 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 27.6% in the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 156,652 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,573,000 after acquiring an additional 33,892 shares during the last quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 18.0% during the 4th quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC now owns 11,235 shares of the company’s stock worth $328,000 after purchasing an additional 1,714 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 57.3% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 56,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,653,000 after purchasing an additional 20,616 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

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.