Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.700- for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.740. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Down 2.7%

CENT opened at $31.43 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.29 and a beta of 0.66. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.93. Central Garden & Pet has a 52 week low of $28.77 and a 52 week high of $43.88. The company has a quick ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 3.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.20) by $0.11. The company had revenue of $678.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $657.86 million. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 4.44% and a return on equity of 10.77%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.18) EPS. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research lowered Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $40.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 632.3% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 974 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 841 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 152.3% during the second 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. iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter worth approximately $94,000. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the second quarter worth $223,000. 16.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Central Garden & Pet

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.