Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.11 EPS

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by $0.11, Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $678.18 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $657.86 million. Central Garden & Pet had a return on equity of 10.77% and a net margin of 4.44%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.18) EPS. Central Garden & Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.700- EPS.

Central Garden & Pet Stock Performance

Shares of CENT traded down $0.86 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $31.43. The company had a trading volume of 248,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 121,872. The company has a quick ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 3.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $31.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.96. Central Garden & Pet has a 52-week low of $28.77 and a 52-week high of $43.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.29 and a beta of 0.66.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Central Garden & Pet

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CENT. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Central Garden & Pet by 632.3% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 841 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Central Garden & Pet by 152.3% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,920 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after buying an additional 1,159 shares during the last quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the third quarter worth approximately $94,000. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Central Garden & Pet during the second quarter worth about $223,000. 16.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Central Garden & Pet in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Central Garden & Pet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $40.00.

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.