Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.21 EPS

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.21, FiscalAI reports. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.99% and a net margin of 5.04%.The company had revenue of $906.15 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $846.58 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. Central Garden & Pet’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.700- EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Central Garden & Pet’s conference call:

• Central delivered a record Q2 and record first half, reporting $906 million in Q2 sales (+9%), expanded margins, and record diluted EPS of $1.28.
• Management cited ongoing margin expansion and productivity (gross margin 33.1%, operating margin 12.6%) and reiterated full‑year non‑GAAP diluted EPS guidance of $2.70 or better.
• The company is simplifying operations (DoMyOwn moved to Covington; TDVBS manufacturing consolidated) while advancing innovation (new Nylabone, Farnam, and The Rebels products), which management says will drive efficiency and future growth.
• Central formed a joint venture with Phillips Pet Food and Supplies (Central retains 20%); management expects reported revenue to decline by a low‑teens percent in H2 and projects a near‑term EPS dilution of about $0.03–$0.05.
• Strong liquidity and capital flexibility — $653 million in cash/short‑term investments, net leverage ~1.3x, no draws on the credit facility and $128 million remaining on the share buyback — support M&A, reinvestment, and capital returns.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of Central Garden & Pet stock traded up $0.74 on Wednesday, reaching $36.83. The company had a trading volume of 62,025 shares, compared to its average volume of 53,759. The firm has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.03 and a beta of 0.62. 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 firm’s 50-day moving average price is $37.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.68. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $28.77 and a 1 year high of $41.25.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CENT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised 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 research report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Central Garden & Pet presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $428,766.10. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of Central Garden & Pet stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total value of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,287. This trade represents a 85.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 8.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 25,503 shares of the company’s stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,520 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,399,000 after acquiring an additional 411 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 14,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $466,000 after acquiring an additional 531 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 12,949 shares of the company’s stock worth $454,000 after acquiring an additional 589 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 841 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

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.