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

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) - Zacks Research raised their Q4 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued to clients and 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.

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

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA traded up $0.87 on Monday, hitting $32.38. 209,374 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 319,664. The company's 50 day moving average price is $31.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.08. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $27.70 and a one year high of $39.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.79 and a beta of 0.68.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.10. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%. The business had revenue of $833.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.36 million.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 60,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.39, for a total transaction of $1,943,400.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,070,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at $34,669,122.35. This trade represents a 5.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 20.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Barclays PLC lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 161.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 122,530 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,849,000 after acquiring an additional 75,718 shares in the last quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,922,000. Denali Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,573,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 268,331 shares of the company's stock worth $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 8,889 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Highbridge Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 89.8% in the fourth quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 685,847 shares of the company's stock worth $22,667,000 after purchasing an additional 324,493 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.