Central Garden & Pet Company
CENT · Price history
Price at last available close
$45.07
+$5.81 (+14.80%) 1M
2026-10-29
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Company & revenue
About Central Garden & Pet Company
Primary reporting period: 2025-09-27 · Research updated Oct 12, 2026. A research update is not a new financial filing.
Who they are
Central Garden & Pet Company (“Central”) is a market leader in the U. S. pet and garden industries.
How they make money
Central Garden & Pet Company operates as a manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of branded pet and garden products. The company generates revenue by selling these products primarily through retail channels, including food, drug, and mass merchandise retailers, leveraging its own manufacturing capabilities and distribution networks to reach consumers.
Products & services
The company provides pet supplies including dog and cat treats, toys, and health products, as well as garden consumables such as grass seed, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, wild bird feed, and live plants.
Brands & revenue mix
Revenue share is not unit sales or a best-seller ranking. Parent brands and included sub-brands can overlap; do not add overlapping rows.
Product / operating segments
Geographic revenue
No reconciled geographic revenue breakdown was confirmed for the current research period.
Customer types
- Food, drug, and mass merchandise retailersSource
Disclosed major customers
- Lowe'sSource
Customer concentration
The company reports that a significant portion of its sales are made to a limited number of large retail customers, which is a common characteristic of the consumer goods industry.
Suppliers, materials & equipment
- Raw material and packaging suppliers — The company relies on various third-party suppliers for raw materials and packaging components used in its manufacturing processes.Source
Strengths
Wall Street Score
Overall investment score · Quality, value, risk and opportunity
44
Weak
View category scores →
Company Quality
How good is the actual business—regardless of today’s stock price?
63
Fair
Financial Strength
68
Business Quality / Moat
50
Management
95
Growth Quality
25
Risk / Durability
74
Uses financial strength, moat, management, growth quality and durability. It excludes share price, P/E, market cap, intrinsic value and margin of safety.
Opportunity
Opportunity Score · How does the current price compare with estimated value?
29
Avoid
Based on current valuation, company quality, recent trends, and available market signals.
View score details →
Model Outlook
12-month model · What does the model think happens next?
40/100
Building Historical Record
Model Score 40/100 — estimates relative performance potential, distinct from the overall Wall Street Score and the separate Company Quality score.
Probability unavailable — the model has not produced a calibrated probability yet.
Click for full breakdown →
WSS View
The quick read
The overall Wall Street Score is low across its combined quality, valuation and risk inputs. This can reflect an expensive share price, business weaknesses, or both; check Company Quality and the category breakdown before drawing a conclusion.
At today’s price, the WSS valuation framework currently reads as less attractive based on the available valuation and market data.
The model outlook is currently cautious.
- •Balance-sheet / debt profile scores strongly
- •Recent buyback activity is present
- •M&A headline · Sep 8, 2026
- •Valuation is a weaker part of the current profile
- •Revenue fundamentals are weak
Company-specific research
Questions worth answering for CENT
These questions are generated from this company's current financial and score data so the page adds context instead of treating the headline score as a stand-alone conclusion.
- •What is driving CENT's revenue decline, and does the latest company filing suggest the weakness is temporary or structural?
- •Is CENT's positive free cash flow repeatable, or is the current level being helped by temporary working-capital or spending changes?
- •Does CENT's balance between cash and debt leave enough flexibility if business conditions weaken?
- •What future growth or profitability would be needed to justify CENT's current valuation?
Essential Investment Snapshot
Wall Street Score
44
Opportunity Score
29
Market Cap
$2.51B
P/E Ratio
14.4
EPS
$2.70
52-Week High
$46.97
52-Week Low
$28.77
Beta
0.54
Intrinsic Value
$22.95
Analyst Target
$54.00
Shares Outstanding
63.8M
Total Revenue
$3.08B
Total Debt
$1.41B
Dividend
No current dividend
Liquidation Value / Share
$27.37
Momentum & Volatility Signals
Two different market-behavior signals. Momentum measures direction and trend strength. Volatility measures how large and unstable the price moves are, regardless of direction.
Building upward momentum
Low movement
A high momentum score means price has been trending upward with confirming short- and medium-term strength. A low score means downward or weakening momentum.
A high volatility score means larger, less stable price swings. It can happen while a stock is rising or falling, so high volatility is not automatically bullish or bearish.
Important: the volatility score above is based on realized price volatility. Implied volatility (IV) comes from options prices and represents the market's expected future movement. Wall Street Score will keep IV separate and will only display it when a verified options-chain feed is available.
Notices for CENT
Detected from reported data — verify before acting.Dividend history reported
Dividend payments are recorded. Review the dates and regular/special classification below; past payments do not guarantee future dividends.
Historical repurchase activity
Reported cash flows or share-count measures indicate past repurchase activity. This does not verify an active buyback authorization or future purchases.
M&A headline · Sep 8, 2026
Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Acquires New Shares in Central Garden & Pet Company $CENT — This is a provider-linked headline, not an independently confirmed event. Check the article and company filings for the subject, proposed/completed status, and subsequent updates.
Defense WorldCommunity Sentiment
0 active · 0 total callsNo personal call yet on CENT.
Potential upside factors
- +Growth opportunities may come from revenue expansion, margin improvement, new products, market-share gains, and stronger cash flow.
- +Broad portfolio of leading brands.
- +Strong manufacturing and logistics capabilities.
- +Positive free cash flow may provide capacity to invest in growth.
Potential downside factors
- −Key risks may include competition, margin pressure, debt levels, valuation risk, and changes in demand within the Packaged Foods industry.
- −Dependence on a limited number of large retail customers.
- −Fluctuations in raw material costs.
These research factors come from saved company research and financial data, not community votes. They are starting points to verify against filings, not buy or sell recommendations.
Create a free account to make a call.
Scores
Click any score for full breakdownWas this stock page easy to understand?
One click helps us improve the research experience. This is not tied to an investment decision.
Score Changes
5 historical score records availablePrevious Score
43
Sep 14, 2026
Change
+0.9
points
Current Score
44
Oct 1, 2026
Category Changes
CENT increased 0.9 points because Capital improved by 3 points, Valuation improved by 4.4 points.
Positive Contributors
- + Capital improved by 3 points
- + Valuation improved by 4.4 points
Projected Score
Projected Score
46
Projected Change
+2.0 points
Preliminary comparable-period financial changes suggest improvement of approximately 2.0 points. This is a projected estimate, not the official WallStreetScore.
Price vs. Value
OvervaluedCurrent Price
$45.05
Model Intrinsic Value
$22.95
Difference
+$22.10
+96.3% vs IV
Margin of Safety
-96.3%
Financial Charts
Revenue
Additional Metrics
Operating Cash Flow
Total Debt
Total Assets
Net Margin %
Free includes 3 annual periods plus available TTM; Premium includes up to 10 annual periods. History depends on available company filings. Swipe the table horizontally to see older periods. A dash means unavailable, not zero.
| Line Item | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3.08B | $3.13B | $3.20B | $3.31B | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Cost of Revenue | $2.08B | $2.16B | $2.26B | $2.36B | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Gross Profit | $1.00B | $972.8M | $943.7M | $946.8M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Research & Development | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| SG&A Expenses | $753.7M | $707.8M | $703.4M | $736.2M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Operating Expenses | $753.7M | $707.8M | $758.3M | $736.2M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| EBITDA | $391.9M | $359.3M | $290.8M | $307.2M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Operating Income | $250.1M | $265.0M | $185.4M | $210.6M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Interest Expense | $57.2M | $57.7M | $57.5M | $57.0M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Income Before Tax | $219.2M | $216.8M | $142.4M | $162.4M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Income Tax Expense | $52.9M | $52.8M | $33.1M | $36.3M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Net Income | $166.3M | $162.8M | $108.0M | $125.6M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Basic EPS | $2.70 | $2.58 | $1.64 | $1.88 | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Basic Shares | 61.45M | 63.09M | 65.71M | 53.43M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
| Diluted Shares | 61.95M | 63.81M | 66.86M | 53.43M | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· | ···· |
Earnings Summary
Revenue
$882.4M
Estimate unavailable.
Revenue Beat/Miss
Not available (no estimate stored)
EPS
$1.45
Estimate unavailable.
EPS Beat/Miss
Not available (no estimate stored)
Debt Change
-1.9%
Cash Change
+39.8%
Margin Change
+0.3 pp
Debt and cash show percentage changes versus the comparison period; margin shows the change in percentage points (pp). These are company-wide changes, not per-share amounts.
Financial Changes Since Prior Period
What Improved
- Margins expanded
- Cash position grew
- Debt reduced
Potential Score Impact
Positive indicators included cash levels, debt levels, net income margin. Pressure indicators included revenue growth, EPS growth. These factors may support or pressure the Revenue, Management, Financial, and Debt categories; this summary does not claim that the stored scores changed.
Stored Earnings Analysis
Revenue declined 8.2%. EPS declined 4.6%. Cash increased 39.8%. Total debt declined 1.9%. Net income margin improved by 0.3 percentage points.
Earnings-Call Transcript
Earnings-call transcript analysis is not currently available.
These results may influence future scores when the next evaluation is completed.
Insider Activity
Guru / Smart Money
Guru Score
Smart Money
Number of Gurus
Total Guru Value
Avg Portfolio Weight
Largest Holder
Largest Holder %
New Positions
Increased Positions
Reduced Positions
Exited Positions
Net Guru Sentiment
Short Interest
Dividend History
Log in to view dividend history.
Conservative Projected Values
3 Years
$———.——
5 Years
$———.——
10 Years
$———.——
Conservative Projection Rate
——%
Conservative Projected Values — price projections derived from actual 10-year adjusted historical returns, conservatively adjusted and capped at 8% annually. These are distinct from the Outperformance Model Score and WallStreetScore.
Conservative Projected Values
Premium unlocks the 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year conservative projected values with full calculation breakdowns based on actual historical returns.
Start 7-Day Free TrialHistorical Outperformance Record
Premium includes stored forecasts and any available evaluated results. Completed results, win rates and calibrated probabilities are shown only when supported records exist; access does not create historical outcomes.
Start 7-Day Free TrialHistorical Trends
5 historical recordsHistorical Score Chart
3 of 5 records shownWall Street Score
Debt Score
Revenue Score
Asset Score
Capital Score
Management Score
Moat Score
Valuation Score
Buffett Score
Intrinsic Value
Value Reference
Margin of Safety %
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News
Here's Why Central Garden (CENT) is a Strong Growth Stock
Should Value Investors Buy Central Garden & Pet (CENT) Stock?
Ashley Tisdale Teams Up with Nylabone to Celebrate a New Kind of Chew Toy
Central Garden & Pet Announces Garden Segment Leadership Transition
Rumor Mill · CENT
Corporate developments & opportunities
No reviewed developments match this filter.
Evidence credibility is not a forecast of stock performance. Rumor Mill is separate from the WSS score.
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