Brokers Offer Predictions for CENT FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks forecasts FY2026 EPS of $2.94 for Central Garden & Pet, below the $3.00 consensus, and projects FY2027 EPS of $2.93 and FY2028 EPS of $3.02, indicating limited near-term growth.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: Zacks rates the stock “Hold,” while Canaccord Genuity raised its price target to $54 and rated it “Buy.” MarketBeat reports an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $54 average target.
• Central Garden & Pet slightly exceeded its latest quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, but revenue fell 8.2% year over year; shares recently traded near $43.97, below the $54 consensus target.

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research issued their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research note issued on Wednesday, August 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team expects that the company will post earnings per share of $2.94 for the year. Zacks Research has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Central Garden & Pet's current full-year earnings is $3.00 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Central Garden & Pet's Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.10) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.14 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.26 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.58 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.05) EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.93 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.16 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.28 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.60 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.02 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently commented on CENT. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $54.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 0.9%

NASDAQ:CENT opened at $43.97 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $43.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $39.90. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $28.77 and a 52 week high of $46.97. The company has a market capitalization of $2.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.41 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 2.67 and a current ratio of 3.79.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $883.72 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.13% and a net margin of 5.39%.The business's revenue was down 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.56 EPS. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 5,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.50, for a total value of $192,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 64,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,490,141.50. This trade represents a 7.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 8.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CENT. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 632.3% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 974 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 841 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 119.9% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,315 shares of the company's stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 717 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1,532.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,845 shares of the company's stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 1,732 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 152.3% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,920 shares of the company's stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 1,159 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks projects fiscal 2028 EPS of $3.02, modestly above its fiscal 2027 estimate of $2.93, indicating expectations for gradual longer-term earnings improvement.
• Neutral Sentiment: The quarterly forecast reflects Central Garden & Pet’s seasonal earnings pattern, with estimated EPS of $0.14 in fiscal Q1 2027, $1.26 in Q2, $1.58 in Q3 and a $0.05 loss in Q4. Zacks also estimates $0.16, $1.28 and $1.60 for fiscal 2028’s first three quarters.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks forecasts fiscal 2026 EPS of $2.94, below the current consensus estimate of $3.00, and fiscal 2027 EPS of $2.93, suggesting little year-over-year earnings growth. The firm’s Hold rating provides no clear upgrade catalyst. The estimate for fiscal Q4 2026 is also a $0.10 per-share loss.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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