Q4 EPS Forecast for Central Garden & Pet Boosted by Analyst

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q4 2025 earnings per share estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 21st. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the company will post earnings per share of ($0.05) for the quarter, up from their previous estimate 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.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $833.54 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.36 million.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on CENTA. Wall Street Zen upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a "hold" rating and set a $35.00 price target (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $33.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of CENTA traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $32.08. The company had a trading volume of 75,342 shares, compared to its average volume of 318,680. The firm has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.62 and a beta of 0.68. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $31.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $27.70 and a 52-week high of $38.78.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 53.1% during the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,490 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 517 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter worth $102,000. KBC Group NV grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 50.1% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,606 shares of the company's stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 1,204 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company's stock worth $180,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.42, for a total transaction of $1,296,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,030,365 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,404,433.30. This trade represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.