Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.21 EPS

Key Points

• $1.29 EPS reported vs. $1.08 expected (beat by $0.21), and the company updated FY 2026 guidance to about $2.70 EPS.
• Two directors disclosed stock sales (John Ranelli: 3,668 shares; Brendan Dougher: 3,250 shares), representing significant reductions in their individual holdings while insiders still own 20.28% of the stock.
• Shares traded up to $33.66 on the news; institutional ownership is 50.82% and analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $44.00.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21, Zacks reports. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.700- EPS.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA traded up $0.95 on Wednesday, hitting $33.66. The stock had a trading volume of 377,096 shares, compared to its average volume of 284,407. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $33.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.07. 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 has a twelve month low of $25.97 and a twelve month high of $37.35. The company has a market capitalization of $2.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 0.59.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 646 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was 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. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in Central Garden & Pet by 181.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 549,355 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,222,000 after purchasing an additional 354,016 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 168.5% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 292,197 shares of the company's stock worth $8,529,000 after purchasing an additional 183,363 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1,109.1% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 196,777 shares of the company's stock worth $5,811,000 after purchasing an additional 180,503 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 52.8% in the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 391,758 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,569,000 after buying an additional 135,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 15.5% in the fourth quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 964,380 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,150,000 after buying an additional 129,496 shares during the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CENTA shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised Central Garden & Pet to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $44.00.

About Central Garden & Pet

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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