<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Central Garden &amp; Pet (NASDAQ:CENT - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.21, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $906.15 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $846.58 million. Central Garden &amp; Pet had a return on equity of 10.99% and a net margin of 5.04%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.04 EPS.  Central Garden &amp; Pet updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.700- EPS.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Central Garden &amp; Pet</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><ul><li>3 Small-Cap Stocks on the Way to Bigger and Better Days</li></ul><p>Here are the key takeaways from Central Garden &amp; Pet's conference call:</p><ul>   <li>Central delivered a record Q2 and record first half, reporting <strong>$906 million</strong> in Q2 sales (+9%), expanded margins, and record diluted EPS of <strong>$1.28</strong>.</li>   <li>Management cited ongoing margin expansion and productivity (gross margin <strong>33.1%</strong>, operating margin <strong>12.6%</strong>) and reiterated full‑year non‑GAAP diluted EPS guidance of <strong>$2.70 or better</strong>.</li>   <li>The company is simplifying operations (DoMyOwn moved to Covington; TDVBS manufacturing consolidated) while advancing innovation (new Nylabone, Farnam, and The Rebels products), which management says will drive efficiency and future growth.</li>   <li>Central formed a joint venture with Phillips Pet Food and Supplies (Central retains 20%); management expects reported revenue to decline by a low‑teens percent in H2 and projects a near‑term EPS dilution of about <strong>$0.03–$0.05</strong>.</li>   <li>Strong liquidity and capital flexibility — <strong>$653 million</strong> in cash/short‑term investments, net leverage ~<strong>1.3x</strong>, no draws on the credit facility and $128 million remaining on the share buyback — support M&amp;A, reinvestment, and capital returns.</li> </ul><h2>Central Garden &amp; Pet Stock Performance</h2><p>Shares of CENT traded up $0.74 on Wednesday, reaching $36.83. 62,025 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 53,759. Central Garden &amp; Pet has a 52-week low of $28.77 and a 52-week high of $41.25. The stock has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a PE ratio of 15.03 and a beta of 0.62. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $37.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.68. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. </p><h2>Insider Buying and Selling at Central Garden &amp; Pet</h2><ul><li>MarketBeat ‘Stock of the Week’: Central Garden &amp; Pet </li></ul><p>In other news, Director John Ranelli sold 3,668 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.50, for a total transaction of $126,546.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 646 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,287. This trade represents a 85.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Brendan Dougher sold 3,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.38, for a total value of $108,485.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 12,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at $428,766.10. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own  8.20% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Institutional Trading of Central Garden &amp; Pet</h2><p>Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CENT. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of  Central Garden &amp; Pet by 59.8% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 36,185 shares of the company's stock worth $1,181,000 after acquiring an additional 13,545 shares during the last quarter.  DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main purchased a new stake in shares of  Central Garden &amp; Pet in the second quarter worth $925,000.  XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of  Central Garden &amp; Pet in the fourth quarter worth $607,000.  Swiss National Bank grew its stake in shares of  Central Garden &amp; Pet by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 17,150 shares of the company's stock worth $551,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter.  Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of  Central Garden &amp; Pet by 30.9% in the fourth quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 15,624 shares of the company's stock worth $502,000 after acquiring an additional 3,690 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own  16.13% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Wall Street Analyst Weigh In</h2><ul><li>Growth Ahead for Central Garden &amp; Pet</li></ul><p>CENT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut Central Garden &amp; Pet from a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating to a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Central Garden &amp; Pet from a &#34;sell (d+)&#34; rating to a &#34;hold (c-)&#34; rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. One research analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one  has given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company  has a consensus rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and an average price target of $50.00.</p><p><b>Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Central Garden &amp; Pet</b></p><h2>About Central Garden &amp; Pet</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>Central Garden &amp; Pet <span>NASDAQ: CENT<span></span></span> is a leading North American specialty retailer, manufacturer and distributor serving the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets. The company operates through two primary segments: Pet and Garden. In the Pet segment, Central Garden &amp; Pet offers a comprehensive range of products including pet food, treats, accessories, training products and habitat solutions for dogs, cats, birds, fish and small animals. The Garden segment encompasses a wide array of lawn, garden and outdoor living products, such as soils, fertilizers, planters, pest control solutions, landscape lighting and watering equipment.  </p><p>Central Garden &amp; Pet's product portfolio includes both proprietary and branded offerings.</p><h2>Featured Articles</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Central Garden &amp; Pet</li></ul><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9Q0VOVA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="325" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9Q0VOVA"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Central Garden &amp; Pet Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Central Garden &amp; Pet, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Central Garden &amp; Pet wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Central Garden &amp; Pet currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

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<p>Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) reported quarterly earnings of $1.29 EPS, exceeding estimates of $1.08. Revenue reached $906.15 million, surpassing expectations of $846.58 million, marking an 8.7% increase year-over-year. The company updated its FY 2026 EPS guidance to $2.70. Central's strong liquidity includes $653 million in cash, supporting future growth and M&A. Shares rose to $36.83, with a market cap of $2.29 billion. Insider trading included significant sales by directors, while institutional investors increased their stakes in the company.</p>

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) Releases Earnings Results