Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Issues Earnings Results

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.10, Zacks reports. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.20% and a return on equity of 11.17%. The business had revenue of $617.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $636.62 million. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.700- EPS.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of CENTA stock traded up $0.90 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $32.71. 18,237 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 244,300. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $25.97 and a fifty-two week high of $37.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 3.67 and a quick ratio of 2.33. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $29.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.60. The company has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.80 and a beta of 0.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on CENTA. CJS Securities raised shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “underweight” rating and set a $28.00 price target (down from $31.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.75.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Aristides Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 8.0% during the third quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 8,436 shares of the company’s stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 623 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 30,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $996,000 after purchasing an additional 743 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 50,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,581,000 after purchasing an additional 771 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.