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Central Garden & Pet Company
(NASDAQ:CENTA)
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Rating:67Neutral
Price Target:
$40.00
Action:N/A
Date:10/21/26
The score is driven primarily by steady profitability and notably strong recent free cash flow generation, which supports financial stability. Technicals add a positive tilt with price trading above key moving averages and moderately positive momentum. Offsetting factors are multi-year revenue softness and a still-meaningful debt load, while valuation looks reasonable but lacks dividend-yield context.
Positive Factors
Strong cash generation
Strong operating and free cash flow provide internal funding for investment, debt service, and shareholder returns. The year-over-year improvement and close relationship between free cash flow and net income also indicate that reported profitability is converting into useful cash.
Negative Factors
Persistent revenue softness
Several periods of declining revenue indicate that margin gains are not being supported by broad-based top-line expansion. Continued softness could limit operating leverage, constrain reinvestment, and make future earnings more dependent on pricing, mix, or cost control.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong cash generation
Strong operating and free cash flow provide internal funding for investment, debt service, and shareholder returns. The year-over-year improvement and close relationship between free cash flow and net income also indicate that reported profitability is converting into useful cash.
Read all positive factors
Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$2.39B
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)299.30K
Price to Earnings (P/E)15.9
Beta (1Y)0.39
Revenue Growth-1.16%
EPS Growth21.79%
CountryUS
Employees6,000
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryPackaged Foods
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)2.70
Shares Outstanding51,340,004
10 Day Avg. Volume293,570
30 Day Avg. Volume299,297
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.22
Price to Book (P/B)1.32
Price to Sales (P/S)0.67
P/FCF Ratio7.20
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.19
Enterprise Value/Revenue0.92
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit2.82
Enterprise Value/Ebitda8.13
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$50.00Price Target Upside― Downside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering1
EPS Forecast (FY)3.14
Revenue Forecast (FY)$2.94B
Central Garden & Pet Company Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) is a prominent U.S.-based enterprise specializing in the manufacturing and distribution of a wide array of products for both the lawn and garden and pet supply sectors. Its operations are strategically divided ...
How the Company Makes Money
Central Garden & Pet makes money primarily by selling branded and, in some cases, private-label consumer products to retail customers (e.g., mass merchandisers, home improvement stores, pet specialty retailers, and other distributors) through its ...
Central Garden & Pet Company Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
62
Positive
Balance Sheet
58
Neutral
Cash Flow
74
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Sep 2025 | Sep 2024 | Sep 2023 | Sep 2022 | Sep 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 3.08B | 3.13B | 3.20B | 3.31B | 3.34B | 3.30B |
| Gross Profit | 1.00B | 972.84M | 943.74M | 946.84M | 992.30M | 970.90M |
| EBITDA | 348.67M | 359.34M | 290.76M | 307.17M | 338.11M | 325.63M |
| Net Income | 166.31M | 162.84M | 107.98M | 125.64M | 152.15M | 151.75M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 3.79B | 3.63B | 3.55B | 3.38B | 3.28B | 3.12B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 996.71M | 882.49M | 753.55M | 488.73M | 177.44M | 426.42M |
| Total Debt | 1.41B | 1.44B | 1.42B | 1.37B | 1.38B | 1.36B |
| Total Liabilities | 2.04B | 2.04B | 2.00B | 1.93B | 1.95B | 1.89B |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.75B | 1.58B | 1.56B | 1.45B | 1.33B | 1.22B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 345.63M | 291.09M | 351.76M | 327.67M | -149.24M | 170.51M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 390.32M | 332.51M | 394.89M | 381.63M | -34.03M | 250.84M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -71.81M | -44.89M | -105.19M | -34.58M | -142.98M | -899.36M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -32.70M | -156.64M | -25.44M | -37.55M | -66.81M | 420.48M |
Central Garden & Pet Company Technical Analysis
Positive
―
Price Trends
35.90
Positive
36.85
Positive
34.82
Positive
Market Momentum
0.52
Negative
75.85
Negative
93.30
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CENTA, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of undefined is equal to the 20-day moving average (MA) of 35.24, equal to the 50-day MA of 35.90, and equal to the 200-day MA of 34.82, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.52 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 75.85 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 93.30 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CENTA.
Central Garden & Pet Company Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
79 Outperform | $3.17B | 15.04 | 16.65% | ― | 12.77% | 500.65% | |
67 Neutral | $2.39B | 15.90 | 10.15% | ― | -1.16% | 21.79% | |
67 Neutral | $13.65B | 59.45 | 4.06% | 3.46% | 5.08% | ― | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% | |
52 Neutral | $17.87B | -19.74 | -10.69% | 7.49% | -4.49% | -131.46% |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
CENTA
Central Garden & Pet Company
38.81
10.13
35.32%
GIS
General Mills
35.18
-9.66
-21.54%
SJM
JM Smucker
133.39
34.86
35.38%
FRPT
Freshpet
67.00
12.81
23.64%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.