JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Stock Price

Key Points

• JPMorgan cut its price target on Central Garden & Pet from $33 to $32 and assigned an "underweight" rating, implying roughly a 10% downside from the stock's current level.
• The analyst consensus remains a Hold with a $41.75 average price target, contrasting with JPMorgan's bearish view while shares recently traded around $35.56.
• CENTA beat EPS expectations for the quarter ($0.21 vs. $0.11) but missed on revenue and set FY2026 guidance at about $2.70 EPS; meanwhile, several directors have sold stock recently, and insiders now own ~20.3% of the company.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $33.00 to $32.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "underweight" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective would suggest a potential downside of 10.00% from the company's current price.

CENTA has been the topic of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised Central Garden & Pet to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $41.75.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA traded up $1.58 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $35.56. 59,333 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 282,561. The business's 50-day moving average price is $33.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.51 and a beta of 0.58. 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 12 month low of $25.97 and a 12 month high of $37.35.

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

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total value of $126,546.00. Following the transaction, the director 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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of Central Garden & Pet 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $428,766.10. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 817 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 752 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.82% of the company's stock.

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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