Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for CENT Earnings

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q2 2025 earnings per share estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued on Wednesday, February 19th. Zacks Research analyst S. Singh now forecasts that the company will earn $0.95 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.03. 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 Q3 2025 earnings at $1.34 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.00 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.37 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.48 EPS.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.24. Central Garden & Pet had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 10.08%.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Central Garden & Pet from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus cut shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.75.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of CENT stock opened at $37.12 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a PE ratio of 20.40 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 3.47. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.60. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $32.17 and a 52-week high of $47.48.

Institutional Trading of Central Garden & Pet

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 693.6% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 4th quarter worth $58,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 395 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the third quarter valued at about $111,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 201.1% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,818 shares of the company’s stock worth $148,000 after purchasing an additional 2,550 shares during the period. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In related news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total transaction of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 8.19% of the company’s stock.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Co engages in the production and distribution of branded and private label products for the lawn, garden, and pet supplies markets. It operates through the Pet and Garden segments. The Pet segment focuses on dog and cat supplies such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and containment, grooming products, waste management and training pads, supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles and pet birds including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, food and supplements, products for equine and livestock, animal and household health and insect control products, live fish and small animals as well as outdoor cushions.