Canaccord Genuity Group Boosts Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Price Target to $54.00

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) had its price objective increased by research analysts at Canaccord Genuity Group from $51.00 to $54.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 40.15% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research cut Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $54.00.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

NASDAQ:CENT traded up $1.70 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $38.53. 104,280 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 76,677. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 3.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a PE ratio of 15.73 and a beta of 0.62. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $28.77 and a 12 month high of $41.53. The company has a fifty day moving average of $37.35 and a 200 day moving average of $34.68.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21. The company 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 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. Central Garden & Pet’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the 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 transaction, the director owned 12,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $428,766.10. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total value of $126,546.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 646 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,287. This trade represents a 85.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 8.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CENT. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 632.3% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 974 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 841 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1,532.7% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,845 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after buying an additional 1,732 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 152.3% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 1,159 shares during the period. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 42.4% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 2,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 643 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Central Garden & Pet

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue beat — CENT reported $1.29 EPS vs. $1.08 consensus and revenue of $906.2M vs. ~$846.6M expected; revenue was up ~8.7% YoY, driving the immediate market reaction. CENT Beats Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Record Q2 results and margin improvement — Management called the quarter “record,” citing higher sales, expanded operating margins and improved EPS versus last year. That operational improvement supports multiple expansion. Record Q2 Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Both Pet and Garden segments delivered strong operating growth — Segment strength and improving margins were highlighted on the call/slide deck, supporting durability of the earnings beat. CENT Q2 Earnings Beat on Strong Pet and Garden Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improving — At least one upgrade/positive feature article highlighted improving fundamentals and outlook, which can attract buyer interest after the beat. Becoming A Good Boy (Rating Upgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company maintained fiscal 2026 non-GAAP EPS target of $2.70 or better — management reiterated the target after Q2, signaling confidence in EPS but not raising the range. Maintains FY2026 Non-GAAP EPS of $2.70 or Better
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call, transcript and slide deck published — Investors can review management commentary and slides for detail on margins, working capital and acquisition/integration progress. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and joint-venture headwind — FY2026 EPS guidance was reiterated at ~$2.70, but that’s below the ~2.84 analyst consensus; management also flagged a joint-venture that is expected to reduce reported 2H revenue by a low?teens percentage, a potential drag on reported top-line growth. Guidance and Joint Venture Impact

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) is a leading North American specialty retailer, manufacturer and distributor serving the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets. The company operates through two primary segments: Pet and Garden. In the Pet segment, Central Garden & Pet offers a comprehensive range of products including pet food, treats, accessories, training products and habitat solutions for dogs, cats, birds, fish and small animals. The Garden segment encompasses a wide array of lawn, garden and outdoor living products, such as soils, fertilizers, planters, pest control solutions, landscape lighting and watering equipment.

Central Garden & Pet’s product portfolio includes both proprietary and branded offerings.