Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.01 EPS

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.55% and a net margin of 5.42%.The company had revenue of $882.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $882.96 million. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.850- EPS.

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

• Fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance was raised to $2.85 or better, up from $2.70 or better, reflecting year-to-date performance and confidence in the fourth quarter.
• Organic sales increased 2% in the quarter, while operating margin expanded 90 basis points to 15.4%; Garden sales rose 3% and benefited from strength in fertilizer, Wild Bird, grass seed, and eCommerce.
• Management reported stabilization in Pet, with market-share gains in professional products, dog treats, rawhide, and flea and tick; online Pet sales grew 10% and Garden eCommerce sales increased more than 40%.
• Central agreed to acquire an 80% stake in European pet supplies company TRIXIE for up to €400 million, creating a broader global platform with potential long-term benefits from international growth, innovation, sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics synergies.
• Reported revenue fell 8% because of the exit from the lower-margin pet distribution business, though management expects limited earnings impact; the TRIXIE deal is expected to close in the first half of fiscal 2027 and is excluded from current guidance.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENT traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $44.06. The company had a trading volume of 83,916 shares, compared to its average volume of 77,633. The business has a fifty day moving average of $42.61 and a 200-day moving average of $38.90. The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 3.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $2.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.02 and a beta of 0.61. Central Garden & Pet has a 12 month low of $28.77 and a 12 month high of $45.78.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on CENT shares. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $54.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 25.4% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 10,102 shares of the company’s stock worth $330,000 after purchasing an additional 2,048 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 9,820 shares of the company’s stock valued at $321,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter valued at $294,000. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP acquired a new position in Central Garden & Pet in the 2nd quarter valued at $293,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Central Garden & Pet by 18.5% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,253 shares of the company’s stock worth $269,000 after buying an additional 1,289 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

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.