CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO CENT
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO (CENT) earns a Piotroski F-score of 8/9 (strong financial health), with an Altman Z″ in the safe zone. It does not currently pay a dividend. FY2025 revenue was $3.1B at a 5.2% net margin.
Quality score trend · recomputed for each fiscal year
Each year's score is computed from that year's filing — a rising Piotroski F or Altman Z″ means improving financial health, a fall is worth a look.
Beneish M-score: -2.75 — low (below −2.22 — no manipulation red flag) . A statistical screen for earnings manipulation, not proof — and it doesn't apply to most banks/insurers.
Analyst price target
Recent analyst actions
| Date | Firm | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-07 | Canaccord Genuity | Buy (main) |
| 2025-11-25 | Canaccord Genuity | Buy (main) |
| 2024-11-26 | Canaccord Genuity | Buy (main) |
| 2024-10-16 | Truist Securities | Buy (main) |
| 2024-09-30 | Canaccord Genuity | Buy (main) |
| 2024-07-01 | Canaccord Genuity | Buy (main) |
Wall Street analyst consensus — a sentiment gauge, not our scoring.
Smart money · insiders, last 12 months
Open-market insider purchases minus sells (SEC Form 4) — real buying with their own money is a bullish “smart money” signal; grants and option exercises are excluded.
How it ranks in Wholesale Trade · percentile among 112 companies
Percentile vs other Wholesale Trade companies we cover — e.g. “stronger than 90%” means only 10% score higher on that measure.
Piotroski F breakdown · 8/9 tests passed
- Positive return on assets
- Positive operating cash flow
- Rising ROA
- Cash flow exceeds net income
- Lower long-term debt
- Rising current ratio
- No share dilution
- Rising gross margin
- Rising asset turnover
Altman Z″ components · safe zone
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Working capital / assets | 0.396 |
| Retained earnings / assets | 0.28 |
| EBIT / assets | 0.069 |
| Equity / liabilities | 0.777 |
Sector peers · similar-size Wholesale Trade companies compare side by side →
| Ticker | Company | Piotroski F | Altman Z″ | P / E | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENT | CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO | 8/9 | 4.79 | 15.5 | -2.2% |
| VSTS | Vestis Corp | 3/9 | 1.54 | — | -2.5% |
| HYFM | HYDROFARM HOLDINGS GROUP, INC. | 2/9 | — | — | -29.4% |
| NHTC | NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP | 2/9 | 1.73 | — | -7.4% |
| EDUC | EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CORP | 6/9 | — | 5.6 | -33% |
| MCK | MCKESSON CORP | 6/9 | 0.58 | 18.8 | +12.4% |
| CAH | CARDINAL HEALTH INC | 6/9 | -0.03 | 32.5 | +14.2% |
All Wholesale Trade companies →
About CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO
Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides dog and cat supplies, such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and containment, grooming items, waste management, and training pads; supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles, and pet birds, including toys, enclosures, habitats, bedding, and food and supplements; products for equine and livestock; animal and household health and insect control products; aquariums and terrariums, including fixtures and stands, water conditioners and supplements, water pumps and filters, and lighting systems and accessories; and live fish and small animals, as well as outdoor cushions. This segment sells its products under the Aqueon, Cadet, Comfort Zone, Farnam, Four Paws, K&H Pet Products, Kaytee, Nylabone, and Zilla brands. Its Garden segment offers lawn and garden supplies products that include grass seed; vegetable; flower and herb packet seed; wild bird feed, bird feeders, bird houses, and other birding accessories; fertilizers; decorative products; live plants; and weed and grass, as well as other herbicides, insecticide, and pesticide products. This segment sells its lawn and garden supplies products under the Amdro, Ferry-Morse, Pennington, and Sevin brands. The company sells its products to independent distributors, big-box retailers, national and regional retail chains, eCommerce and online retailers, grocery stores, nurseries, and mass merchants. Central Garden & Pet Company was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California.
FAQ
Is CENT financially healthy?
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO's Piotroski F-score is 8/9 (8–9 is excellent, 0–3 weak), and its Altman Z″ distress score is in the safe zone.
Does CENT pay a dividend?
No, CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO does not currently pay a dividend.
How profitable is CENT?
In FY2025, CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO had a net margin of 5.2% and a return on equity of 10.3%.
Is CENT overvalued or undervalued?
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO trades at about 17.5× trailing earnings — above its 10-year norm (10-year range 11.0×–21.9×, median 14.7×). Stocktoria reports the data, not buy/sell advice.
What is the analyst price target for CENT?
The average Wall-Street price target for CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO is $47.50, about 6.5% above the recent price, from 2 analysts (consensus: buy).
Is CENT a good stock to buy?
Stocktoria doesn't give buy or sell advice, but here is the data on CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO: a Piotroski F-score of 8/9, an Altman Z″ in the safe zone, a P/E of about 15.5×. Weigh these quality and valuation signals against your own goals.
Computed from company filings · US · as of 2025-09-27. Facts plus Stocktoria's own computed scores — not investment advice.