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

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $846.58 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. The company’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 Stock Up 2.1%

CENT traded up $0.74 on Wednesday, reaching $36.83. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 62,025 shares, compared to its average volume of 53,759. The stock has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.03 and a beta of 0.62. Central Garden & Pet has a 1 year low of $28.77 and a 1 year high of $41.25. 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 business’s 50 day moving average is $37.35 and its 200 day moving average is $34.68.

Insider Transactions at Central Garden & Pet

In other Central Garden & Pet news, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total transaction of $108,485.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at $428,766.10. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the 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 transaction, the director directly owned 646 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,287. This 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 large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,100,839 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,942,000 after buying an additional 32,716 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 385,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,409,000 after buying an additional 3,306 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 39.2% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 259,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,500,000 after buying an additional 72,977 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in Central Garden & Pet during the 1st quarter worth approximately $7,347,000. Finally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 178,915 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,842,000 after buying an additional 2,375 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CENT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research downgraded 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 issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.00.

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.