Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts assign Central Garden & Pet a consensus rating of Hold from seven brokers with an average 1‑year target price of $40.75, reflecting mixed views (1 sell, 3 hold, 2 buy, 1 strong buy).
• Insider sales have occurred recently—Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares at $34.50 and Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares at $33.38—though insiders still own 20.28% of the company.
• The company beat quarterly EPS expectations ($0.21 vs. $0.11) but missed revenue estimates, set FY2026 guidance of 2.70 EPS (analysts expect 2.38), and has a market capitalization of about $1.96 billion with a PE of 12.87.

Shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the seven brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $40.75.

CENTA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an "underweight" rating and issued a $28.00 target price (down from $31.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. KeyCorp reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. CJS Securities upgraded Central Garden & Pet to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 646 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,287. The trade was a 85.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at $428,766.10. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CENTA. Orchard Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.3% in the third quarter. Orchard Capital Management LLC now owns 11,029 shares of the company's stock worth $326,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 40.0% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 14,668 shares of the company's stock worth $433,000 after buying an additional 488 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 23,700 shares of the company's stock worth $700,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $31.54 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.96 billion, a PE ratio of 12.87 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $30.43. 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.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $617.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $636.62 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. Research analysts expect that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.

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