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CENTACENTAConsumer Defensive · Packaged Foods

CENTA Stock Forecast: Central Garden & Pet Co. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 9 Sept 2026
$34
−2.69% on the day

The 5 Wall Street analysts covering Central Garden & Pet Co. hold a median 12-month price target of $48 — +39.8% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 94 of 100 as at 8 Sept 2026 — among the strongest tenth. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$2.2B
Ticker Nerd rank
94 / 100
Median analyst target
$48
Analysts covering
5
Revenue$882.4M−8.2% y/y
Operating income$125.8M
Net income$90.0M
Free cash flow$314.9M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
−5.7%
1M
−12.1%
YTD
+17.6%
1Y
+0.9%
From 52W high
−15.4%
From 52W low
+30.7%
$26
$41
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

CENTA stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Central Garden & Pet Co. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 8 Sept 2026
94 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Volatility
92
Value
91
Accruals
83
Quality
81
Issuance
75
Revisions
69
Momentum
60
Growth
58
Size
34

Volatility (92): The share price has been relatively steady.

Growth (58): Sales and profits are flat, shrinking, or growing more slowly than they were.

Size (34): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

CENTA stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on CENTA, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$25$30$35$40$45$50Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26CENTAHigh $50Median $48Low $39

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says5 analysts
4 Buy0 Hold1 Sell
Low $39Median $48High $50

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +39.8% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 1 moved their price target up and 4 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
16 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsUnderweight$32 → $37
17 June 2026Canaccord GenuityMaintainsBuy—
17 June 2026Canaccord GenuityMaintainsBuy$54 → $53
17 Apr 2026JP MorganMaintainsUnderweight—
16 Jan 2026JP MorganDowngradeUnderweight—
25 Nov 2025JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
23 Oct 2025JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
7 Aug 2025Canaccord GenuityMaintainsBuy—
30 Apr 2025Truist SecuritiesDowngradeHold—
11 Apr 2025JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
16 Jan 2025JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
7 Jan 2025Argus ResearchDowngradeHold—
26 Nov 2024Canaccord GenuityMaintainsBuy$48 → $45
16 Oct 2024Truist SecuritiesMaintainsBuy$50 → $40
11 Oct 2024JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
30 Sept 2024Canaccord GenuityMaintainsBuy$48
8 Aug 2024JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
22 July 2024JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
1 July 2024Canaccord GenuityMaintainsBuy$52 → $49
28 May 2024Argus ResearchUpgradeBuy$50

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. CENTA appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

CENTA vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 9 Sept 2026, Central Garden & Pet Co. returned +0.9% against +18.5% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

CENTA vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
8090100110120Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26CENTAS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

CENTA analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
−0.1%
Analysts raising
2
Analysts cutting
1
Fundamentals

Central Garden & Pet Co. (CENTA) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
13.1×

Cheaper than 51% of US stocks

Price / sales
0.7×

Cheaper than 77% of US stocks

Price / book
1.3×

Cheaper than 66% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
7.7×

Cheaper than 46% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
−8.2%

Higher than 17% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
−5.4%

Higher than 30% of US stocks

Gross margin
35.9%

Higher than 44% of US stocks

Operating margin
14.3%

Higher than 71% of US stocks

Net margin
5.4%

Higher than 61% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
10.0%

Higher than 63% of US stocks

Return on assets
4.3%

Higher than 73% of US stocks

Dividend yield
—

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Central Garden & Pet Co. (CENTA) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Central Garden & Pet Co. has a market value of $2.2B and an enterprise value of $2.6B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $3.1B. The latest quarter shrank 8.2% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $166.4M, a 5.4% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $2.68.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $345.6M.

  • Central Garden & Pet Co. spent $29.2M on share buybacks in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 62.5M.

  • Trailing P/E: 13.1×; forward P/E: 11.3× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Central Garden & Pet Co. employs 6,000 people — $514K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 10 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

CENTA vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelPackaged Foods
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
CENTACentral Garden & Pet Co.$2.2B
94
UTZUTZ Brands, Inc.$2.0B
47
MZTIThe Marzetti Co.$2.9B
39
NOMDNomad Foods Ltd.$1.7B
52
JJSFJ&J Snack Foods Corp.$1.6B
65
FRPTFreshpet, Inc.$3.3B
59
POSTPost Holdings, Inc.$3.7B
60

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Central Garden & Pet Co. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest CENTA news & analysis

Should Value Investors Buy Central Garden & Pet (CENTA) Stock?

Zacks Investment Research · 9 Sept 2026neutral

Zacks Investment Research published an article examining whether Central Garden & Pet (CENTA) stock represents a value opportunity. The piece describes Zacks' emphasis on its Rank system, which focuses on earnings estimates and revisions, while also noting the firm's attention to value, growth, and momentum trends.

Why it matters — CENTA watchers would care because the article evaluates the stock using the widely followed Zacks methodology, potentially informing how investors assess the company's current valuation.

Is Central Garden & Pet (CENTA) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Discretionary Peers This Year?

Zacks Investment Research · 31 Aug 2026neutral

The article compares Central Garden & Pet's year-to-date stock performance against H&R Block and the broader Consumer Discretionary sector.

Why it matters — CENTA watchers would care because the comparison highlights how the company is tracking relative to both a peer and its sector, which can signal relative strength or weakness.

Central Garden & Pet to Participate in Virtual Investor Meetings with KeyBanc Capital Markets

Business Wire · 28 Aug 2026neutral

Central Garden & Pet announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Brad Smith, will participate in virtual investor meetings hosted by KeyBanc Capital Markets on September 1, 2026. Registration and participation details are available through KeyBanc sales representatives, and a replay of the group meeting will be posted afterward.

Why it matters — A CENTA watcher would care because the CFO's participation in investor meetings signals ongoing engagement with the financial community and potential exposure for the company.

Are Investors Undervaluing Central Garden & Pet (CENTA) Right Now?

Zacks Investment Research · 24 Aug 2026neutral

Zacks Investment Research published a piece asking whether investors are currently undervaluing Central Garden & Pet (CENTA). The article describes Zacks' focus on earnings estimates and estimate revisions through its Zacks Rank system, while also tracking value, growth, and momentum trends to identify strong picks. No specific conclusions about CENTA are provided in the excerpt.

Why it matters — CENTA watchers would care because this piece evaluates whether the stock is potentially undervalued using Zacks' earnings-estimate and trend-based screening methods.

Wall Street Analysts Believe Central Garden (CENTA) Could Rally 28.12%: Here's is How to Trade

Zacks Investment Research · 13 Aug 2026positive

Wall Street analysts' consensus price target for Central Garden (CENTA) suggests roughly 28% upside potential. Meanwhile, the article notes the consensus metric is often unreliable, though a positive trend in earnings estimate revisions could indicate near-term upside for the stock.

Why it matters — CENTA watchers may take note of the upward trend in earnings estimate revisions, which analysts view as a potentially meaningful signal for near-term performance.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about CENTA stock

What is the CENTA stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 5 Wall Street analysts covering Central Garden & Pet Co. have a median 12-month price target of $48, with estimates ranging from $39 to $50. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is CENTA stock a buy right now?

Of the 5 analysts covering Central Garden & Pet Co., 4 rate it a Buy, 0 a Hold and 1 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Central Garden & Pet Co. 94 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 8 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank CENTA?

As at 8 Sept 2026, Central Garden & Pet Co. ranks 94 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Volatility (92 of 100).

Will CENTA stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 5 analysts implies +39.8% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Central Garden & Pet Co. 94 out of 100 as at 8 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the CENTA stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Central Garden & Pet Co. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for CENTA are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $39 to $50 over the next 12 months.

How has CENTA stock performed over the past year?

Central Garden & Pet Co. returned +0.9% over the 12 months to 9 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Central Garden & Pet Co. do?

Central Garden & Pet Company Class A is a consumer goods company focused on products for the pet and garden markets. Central Garden & Pet Company Class A develops, manufactures, and distributes a broad range of branded and private label offerings for pet care, lawn and garden maintenance, and outdoor living.

What is the latest news on CENTA?

The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 9 Sept 2026): "Should Value Investors Buy Central Garden & Pet (CENTA) Stock?". Zacks Investment Research published an article examining whether Central Garden & Pet (CENTA) stock represents a value opportunity. The piece describes Zacks' emphasis on its Rank system, which focuses on earnings estimates and revisions, while also noting the firm's attention to value, growth, and momentum trends.

Company

About Central Garden & Pet Co.

Central Garden & Pet Company Class A is a consumer goods company focused on products for the pet and garden markets. Central Garden & Pet Company Class A develops, manufactures, and distributes a broad range of branded and private label offerings for pet care, lawn and garden maintenance, and outdoor living. Its pet portfolio includes products for dogs, cats, birds, fish, and small animals, while its garden business covers seeds, fertilizers, pest control, soils, tools, and live plants. The company serves retailers, independent garden centers, e-commerce channels, and other specialty and mass-market customers across North America. With operations centered in Walnut Creek, California, Central Garden & Pet Company Class A plays a significant role in supplying everyday household products that support pet well-being and home gardening needs.

CEO Mr. Nicholas Lahanas · 6,000 employees · United States · https://www.central.com