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

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

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on CENT. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research downgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $54.00.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Up 4.6%

NASDAQ CENT traded up $1.70 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $38.53. 104,280 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 76,677. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.42. The company has a market capitalization of $2.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.73 and a beta of 0.62. The company’s 50-day moving average is $37.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.68. Central Garden & Pet has a one year low of $28.77 and a one year high of $41.53.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. The firm had revenue of $906.15 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $846.58 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Central Garden & Pet will post 2.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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 shares were sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total value of $108,485.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,845 shares in the company, valued at $428,766.10. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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. 8.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 20.1% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 1.5% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 25,503 shares of the company’s stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 1.8% during the third quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 20,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,520 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,399,000 after purchasing an additional 411 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in Central Garden & Pet by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 14,492 shares of the company’s stock valued at $466,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares during the last quarter. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Central Garden & Pet News Roundup

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

About Central Garden & Pet

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.