Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Central Garden & Pet guided FY 2026 EPS to $2.85, below the analyst consensus estimate of $2.95; no revenue guidance was provided.
• The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $1.54 versus the $1.51 consensus. Analysts expect full-year EPS of approximately $2.89.
• Shares traded near $38.54, while analysts maintained an overall “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $46.67; institutional investors own 50.82% of the stock.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.850- for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.950. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on CENTA. Wall Street Zen raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Zacks Research downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $46.67.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CENTA traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $38.54. 202,700 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 309,014. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $37.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $34.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.45. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $25.97 and a 12 month high of $39.99. The firm has a market cap of $2.41 billion, a PE ratio of 14.01 and a beta of 0.59.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.03. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.42% and a return on equity of 11.55%. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 239.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,220 shares of the company's stock valued at $195,000 after buying an additional 4,388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vestcor Inc bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at $208,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

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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