Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for CENTA Earnings

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2025 earnings estimates for shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report released on Wednesday, May 21st. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.15 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.34. 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 Q2 2026 earnings at $1.11 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.20 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.53 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.27 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.13 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.60 EPS.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $876.36 million.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $34.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Truist Financial restated a “hold” rating and issued a $35.00 price target (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.2%

CENTA opened at $31.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 3.47 and a quick ratio of 1.97. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $27.70 and a fifty-two week high of $39.97. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $31.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.31 and a beta of 0.68.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CENTA. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 5,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,048 shares of the company’s stock valued at $431,000 after acquiring an additional 398 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 49,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,622,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 17,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $583,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 53.1% during the 1st quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,490 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 517 shares in the last quarter. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Chairman William E. Brown sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.42, for a total transaction of $1,296,800.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 1,030,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,404,433.30. This represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 20.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.