Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) Stock Price & Analysis
Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) closed at USD 38.81 on Thursday, October 22, 2026, up 5.38% on the day. The US market is currently closed (pre-market); this is not a live price.
The prior close was USD 36.83; the Oct 22, 2026 session ranged USD 36.73–38.99 on volume of 461,318 shares. Market capitalization is $2.43B, with a 52-week range of USD 27.39–40.8 (NMS). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/CENTA.md
Key facts (CENTA)
- 1 of 80 tracked superinvestors hold CENTA (13F, Q2 2026): 0 new, 1 added, 0 reduced, 0 unchanged.
- Analysts: Buy (mean 2.40 on a 1–5 scale) (5 analysts), mean target USD 46.25 (range 39–50).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +35.3% vs S&P 500 +14.9%; 5Y +7.2% vs S&P 500 +80.3%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-25, EPS estimate USD -0.06, revenue estimate $607M.
Superinvestors (SEC 13F-HR, Q2 2026) (CENTA)
1 of 80 tracked investors hold CENTA. Each row is the investor's latest 13F; change is vs their prior-quarter share count.
| Investor | Firm | % of portfolio | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Eagle Investment | First Eagle Investment Management | 0.02% | $11.2M | Added +11.3% |
Analysts (CENTA)
Consensus Buy (mean 2.40 on a 1–5 scale), 5 analysts; mean target USD 46.25 (low 39, high 50).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-16 | JP Morgan | Target raised | Underweight | $32 → $37 |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (CENTA)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-23) | 5Y (from 2021-10-18) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +35.3% | +7.2% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.9% | +80.3% |
| Per year | +35.5% | +1.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 25.5% | 28.4% |
| Max drawdown | -17.4% (Aug 2026→Sep 2026) | -34.1% (Nov 2021→Oct 2025) |
CENTA analyst estimates and revisions
| Period | EPS estimate | 90 days ago | Change | Revenue estimate | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter (ends Sep 2026) | $-0.06 | $-0.05 | +20.0% | $607.3M | 5 |
| Next quarter (ends Dec 2026) | $0.12 | $0.20 | -38.5% | $0 | 1 |
| Current fiscal year (ends Sep 2026) | $2.97 | $2.97 | +0.0% | $3.01B | 5 |
| Next fiscal year (ends Sep 2027) | $3.09 | $3.07 | +0.7% | $3.05B | 3 |
Key Statistics (as of October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC)
| Price | USD 38.81 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 5.38% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 36.83 |
| Open | USD 37.03 |
| Day Range | USD 36.73 – 38.99 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 27.39 – 40.8 |
| Volume | 461,318 shares |
| Market Cap | $2.43B |
| Exchange | NMS |
Technical Analysis (CENTA)
Nexqual's technical model rates CENTA "BUY" based on 5 bullish and 3 bearish signals across 127 daily candles, as of October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
| Overall Signal | BUY |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 75.5 (overbought) |
| vs SMA50 | Above (USD 35.9) |
| MACD | 0.52 (positive) |
Analyst Ratings (CENTA)
Wall Street analysts rate CENTA "Buy" based on 5 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 46.25 (range USD 39–50), per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Buy |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 5 |
| Mean Target | USD 46.25 |
| High Target | USD 50 |
| Low Target | USD 39 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 4 / 0 / 1 |
Earnings (CENTA)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-11-25 |
|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | USD -0.06 |
| Revenue Estimate | $607.30M |
Recent Earnings History
| Quarter | Actual vs Estimate |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | USD 1.54 vs est 1.53 ▲ beat |
| 2026-03-31 | USD 1.29 vs est 1.1 ▲ beat |
| 2025-12-31 | USD 0.21 vs est 0.14 ▲ beat |
| 2025-09-30 | USD -0.09 vs est -0.2 ▲ beat |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (CENTA)
| Total Revenue | $3.08B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | -8.20% |
| Gross Margin | +32.57% |
| Operating Margin | +14.26% |
| Profit Margin | +5.39% |
| ROE | +9.97% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.81 |
| Current Ratio | 3.79 |
| Total Cash | $996.71M |
| Total Debt | $1.41B |
| Free Cash Flow (fiscal year ended Sep 2025, SEC 10-K) | $291.09M (9.3% of revenue) |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
Financial Health Score (CENTA)
Nexqual rates Central Garden & Pet Company's overall financial health "Mixed" across five dimensions, as of October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
| Growth | Weak — Revenue -2% YoY (annual), declining |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Solid — Gross margin 33%, operating 14% (last 12 months) |
| Balance Sheet | Mixed — $997M cash vs $1.41B debt |
| Cash Flow | Solid — FCF $291M (FY ended Sep 2025, 10-K), 9% margin |
| Efficiency | Mixed — ROE 10%, ROA 4.3% |
Ownership (CENTA)
| Insider Ownership | +3.56% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +97.50% |
| Shares Outstanding | 51.34M |
| Float | 57.53M |
| Short % of Float | +4.16% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
Leadership (CENTA)
Central Garden & Pet Company is led by Nicholas Lahanas, CEO & Director, per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
| CEO & Director | Nicholas Lahanas |
|---|---|
| Founder & Chairman | William E. Brown |
| Chief Financial Officer | Bradley G. Smith |
| President of Pet Consumer Products | John Edward Hanson |
| Vice President of Investor Relations | Friederike Edelmann |
Major Backers & Investors (CENTA)
Notable institutional backers of Central Garden & Pet Company include American Century Companies Inc, LSV Asset Management, Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC, according to Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| American Century Companies Inc | 5.06% |
| LSV Asset Management | 4.9% |
| Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC | 2.85% |
| Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. | 2.04% |
| John Hancock Investment Trust-Small Cap Core Fund | 1.51% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| BlackRock | 16.28% |
| Vanguard Group | 10.76% |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors | 6.34% |
| State Street | 4.3% |
| Geode Capital | 2.31% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| INGR | Ingredion Incorporated | USD 97.18 | ▲ 1.57% |
| CPB | The Campbell's Company | USD 21.26 | ▲ 8.69% |
| PPC | Pilgrim's Pride Corporation | USD 28.09 | ▲ 1.23% |
| CAG | ConAgra Brands, Inc. | USD 15.07 | ▲ 7.34% |
| SFD | Smithfield Foods, Inc. | USD 18.81 | ▲ 2.79% |
| LW | Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. | USD 55.18 | ▲ 3.9% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 23, 2026 at 09:25 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
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