Zacks Research Forecasts CENTA FY2026 Earnings

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research issued their FY2026 EPS estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team forecasts that the company will earn $2.94 per share for the year. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Central Garden & Pet’s current full-year earnings is $3.00 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Central Garden & Pet’s Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.10) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.14 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.26 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.58 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.05) EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.93 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.16 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.28 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.60 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.02 EPS.

CENTA has been the topic of several other reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on Central Garden & Pet from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $46.67.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.1%

Central Garden & Pet stock opened at $38.06 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $25.97 and a 12 month high of $40.79. The company has a market capitalization of $2.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.20 and a beta of 0.59. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $38.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.26. The company has a current ratio of 3.79, a quick ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $882.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.13% and a net margin of 5.39%.Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.850- EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Denali Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $893,000. Jennison Associates LLC grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 118.0% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 58,573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,710,000 after purchasing an additional 31,708 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 39.4% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 106,460 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,451,000 after purchasing an additional 30,075 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 69.7% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 76,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,496,000 after purchasing an additional 31,622 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,804,612 shares of the company’s stock valued at $169,437,000 after buying an additional 20,819 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 5,000 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.50, for a total transaction of $192,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 64,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,490,141.50. The trade was a 7.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Central Garden & Pet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Central Garden & Pet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks projects EPS of $3.02 for fiscal 2028, modestly above its $2.94 estimate for fiscal 2026. The forecast implies gradual earnings improvement over the next two years, which could support the valuation if margins and demand remain stable.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating on Central Garden & Pet. Its estimates include fiscal 2027 EPS of $2.93 and quarterly EPS forecasts of $0.14 in Q1 2027, $1.26 in Q2, and $1.58 in Q3, indicating that profitability remains heavily weighted toward the company’s seasonal periods.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks’ fiscal 2026 EPS forecast of $2.94 is below the current consensus estimate of $3.00. The firm also expects a $0.10-per-share loss in Q4 2026, while fiscal 2027 EPS of $2.93 suggests little near-term annual earnings growth. These figures may limit upside for CENTA, particularly with the shares trading near their 52-week high and above the 200-day moving average.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.