Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for CENTA Earnings

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q2 2025 EPS estimates for Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 19th. Zacks Research analyst S. Singh now anticipates that the company will earn $0.95 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast 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.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on CENTA. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Central Garden & Pet from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Price Performance

Shares of CENTA stock traded down $1.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $31.32. The stock had a trading volume of 693,790 shares, compared to its average volume of 270,702. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $32.20. The company has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.21 and a beta of 0.76.

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden & Pet

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 67,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,205,267.46. This trade represents a 12.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 20.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 668.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 930 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its stake in Central Garden & Pet by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 43.8% in the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $102,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 253.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,891 shares of the company's stock valued at $122,000 after buying an additional 2,791 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the company's stock.

Central Garden & Pet Company Profile

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.