Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.21 EPS

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $906.15 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $846.58 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.42% and a return on equity of 11.67%. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.700- EPS.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ CENTA traded down $0.27 on Friday, hitting $34.48. The company had a trading volume of 98,537 shares, compared to its average volume of 288,333. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $33.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.17. The company has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a PE ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.59. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $25.97 and a 12-month high of $37.71.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CENTA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Central Garden & Pet to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,287. This trade represents a 85.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total value of $108,485.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $428,766.10. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 20.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 15.9% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,471 shares of the company’s stock valued at $605,000 after purchasing an additional 2,532 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 56.8% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 48,438 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,585,000 after purchasing an additional 17,556 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 2.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 30,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $996,000 after buying an additional 743 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 179.2% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 180,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,921,000 after buying an additional 116,101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 5.1% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 263,518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,625,000 after buying an additional 12,749 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.