What is Zacks Research's Forecast for CENT Q4 Earnings?

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q4 2025 earnings per share estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, May 21st. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of ($0.05) for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of ($0.15). The consensus estimate for Central Garden & Pet's current full-year earnings is $2.38 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Central Garden & Pet's Q1 2026 earnings at $0.26 EPS and Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.04) EPS.

Separately, Truist Financial cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, April 30th.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CENT traded up $0.10 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $36.18. 22,952 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 145,293. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $35.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.98. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $31.97 and a 1 year high of $45.01. The stock has a market cap of $2.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.86 and a beta of 0.73.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.10. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 3.77%. The business had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $876.36 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.99 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 7.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.39, for a total transaction of $1,943,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,070,365 shares in the company, valued at $34,669,122.35. This represents a 5.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 8.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Central Garden & Pet in the 1st quarter valued at $7,347,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 6.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 51,591 shares of the company's stock worth $1,891,000 after purchasing an additional 3,199 shares during the last quarter. Aristeia Capital L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the first quarter worth about $610,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 39.2% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 259,144 shares of the company's stock worth $9,500,000 after acquiring an additional 72,977 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 4.5% in the first quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 79,591 shares of the company's stock worth $2,918,000 after acquiring an additional 3,462 shares during the last quarter. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, garden, and pet supplies markets. It operates through the Pet and Garden segments. The Pet segment focuses on dog and cat supplies such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and containment, grooming products, waste management and training pads, supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles and pet birds including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish, and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions.