Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.03 EPS

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.03, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $882.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.38% and a net margin of 5.39%. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.850- EPS.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENTA traded down $2.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $38.45. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 82,774 shares, compared to its average volume of 309,954. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $37.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.41 billion, a PE ratio of 14.36 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.45. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $25.97 and a one year high of $40.79.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CENTA. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 817 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 239.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,220 shares of the company’s stock worth $195,000 after acquiring an additional 4,388 shares during the period. Finally, Vestcor Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $208,000. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CENTA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Zacks Research cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.67.

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.