Research Analysts Offer Predictions for CENT Q4 Earnings

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research decreased their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of ($0.04) per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.05. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Central Garden & Pet’s current full-year earnings is $2.38 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Central Garden & Pet’s Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.02) EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.88 EPS.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.10. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 10.99%. The company had revenue of $617.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $636.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.21 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS.

Several other analysts have also commented on the company. CJS Securities raised Central Garden & Pet to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.50.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of CENT opened at $39.67 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.60. The firm has a market cap of $2.47 billion, a PE ratio of 16.19 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Central Garden & Pet has a 1-year low of $28.77 and a 1-year high of $41.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Central Garden & Pet 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 transaction of $108,485.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 12,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $428,766.10. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 8.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 632.3% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 974 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 841 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Stenger Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Central Garden & Pet during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. CWM LLC raised its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 222.4% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,412 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 974 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 152.3% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 1,159 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 16.13% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Central Garden & Pet

Here are the key news stories impacting Central Garden & Pet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple quarterly and full‑year EPS forecasts (several Q2/Q3 2026–2028 estimates and FY2026 & FY2028), boosting modeled FY earnings to $2.84 (FY2026) and $2.95 (FY2028); the firm still carries a “Hold” rating, so the revisions improve outlook without a full rating upgrade. Zacks Research estimate revisions
• Positive Sentiment: Management will participate in investor conferences (J.P. Morgan High Yield & Leveraged Finance Conference on March 3); CFO Brad Smith will do a fireside chat and management will hold one‑on‑ones — increased investor access can support multiple‑buyer interest and reduce information asymmetry. Central Garden & Pet to Participate in Investor Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data reported for February appears erroneous (shows 0 shares and NaN change); as published it provides no clear signal about bearish positioning or potential squeeze dynamics. No link available for the raw data entry.

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.