What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for CENTA Q3 Earnings?

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENTA) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, May 20th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $1.24 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.59. The consensus estimate for Central Garden & Pet’s current full-year earnings is $2.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Central Garden & Pet’s Q3 2027 earnings at $1.36 EPS.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 11.55% and a net margin of 5.42%.The business had revenue of $906.15 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $846.58 million. Central Garden & Pet has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700- EPS.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.00.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

CENTA stock opened at $34.57 on Monday. Central Garden & Pet has a fifty-two week low of $25.97 and a fifty-two week high of $37.71. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $33.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.45. The company has a market capitalization of $2.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.57 and a beta of 0.59.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 164.0% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 444.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 817 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 198.4% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,131 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 752 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Co is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of branded consumable gardening products and pet supplies in North America. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the company serves both retail and wholesale customers through a network of distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Operating under the ticker symbol CENTA on the NASDAQ exchange, Central Garden & Pet has been publicly traded since 2003.

The company’s Garden segment offers a broad portfolio of lawn and garden care solutions, including fertilizers, weed and pest control products, soil and mulch, and plant care accessories.