Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Outlook for CENTA Earnings

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENTA) – Zacks Research reduced their Q2 2025 earnings estimates for shares of Central Garden & Pet in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 19th. Zacks Research analyst S. Singh now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $0.95 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.

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

CENTA has been the topic of several other reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Argus cut Central Garden & Pet from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Central Garden & Pet from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Central Garden & Pet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.00.

Central Garden & Pet Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CENTA opened at $32.02 on Friday. Central Garden & Pet has a 12-month low of $27.70 and a 12-month high of $41.03. The company has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a PE ratio of 17.59 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $32.33 and a 200 day moving average of $32.23. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider John D. Walker III sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.86, for a total value of $328,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 67,111 shares in the company, valued at $2,205,267.46. The trade was a 12.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 20.28% 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.