Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) Stock Forecast Oct. 14, 2026
Analysis updated on Oct. 14, 2026 (UTC) · Alpha · vs marketSwitch to Total · Nasdaq
Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) stock forecast summary
On Oct. 14, 2026, CENT is rated Neutral: its 90-day Alpha forecast sits in the middle 30% of the 4004 stocks scored that day.
Central Garden & Pet Co is a mid-cap company with a market capitalization of $2.58B. It ranks number 1 by market capitalization among the 6 Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods issuers in our coverage with a current forecast.
A per-ticker accuracy statistic for CENT is published only once its sample size is known. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4537 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-06-09 produced a positive net return in 73.7% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
Expected return relative to the market over the horizon: a positive alpha means the model expects the stock to beat the market, whatever the market does. Ratings: strong buy ≥ +1.3%, buy ≥ +0.5%, sell < -0.5%, strong sell < -1.6% (top 15%, next 20%, middle 30%, next 20%, bottom 15% of the 2026-10-14 signals)
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How CENT ranks among 4004 stocks
90D Alpha forecasts of every company scored, cut into five relative ratings at the 15th, 35th, 65th and 85th percentiles (dashed lines).
Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) fundamentals
Trailing twelve months. The industry median and the rank (1 = highest) are taken over the Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods peers listed below that report each metric.
Reported net income does not reconcile with earnings per share and the share count, so net-income-based ratios are withheld.
Valuation & Market
| Metric | CENT | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $2.58B | 1/6 |
| P/E Ratio | 15.54x | – |
| P/B Ratio | 5.64x | – |
| EPS | $2.89 | – |
| Book Value/Share | $7.32 | – |
| Revenue/Share | $49.27 | – |
| FCF/Share | $5.52 | – |
Profitability & Margins
| Metric | CENT | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| ROIC | 42.2% | – |
| Gross Margin | 32.5% | 3/6 |
| Operating Margin | 21.5% | 1/5 |
| EBT Margin | 18.9% | 2/6 |
| Tax Rate | 24.1% | – |
Financial Health
| Metric | CENT | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 3.79x | 1/6 |
| Quick Ratio | 2.67x | 1/5 |
| D/E Ratio | 1.52x | – |
| Financial Leverage | 2.52x | – |
| Interest Coverage | 2.6x | 2/5 |
| Working Capital | $1.57B | 1/6 |
Cash Flow
| Metric | CENT | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $390M | 1/6 |
| Free Cash Flow | $346M | 1/5 |
| Capital Spending | -$45M | 4/5 |
| OCF Growth YoY | 10.6% | – |
| FCF Growth YoY | 10.7% | – |
| FCF/Sales | 11.2% | 1/5 |
| CapEx/Sales | 1.4% | 3/5 |
Operational Efficiency
| Metric | CENT | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Turnover | 2.67x | 1/6 |
| Receivables Turnover | 6.7x | 4/5 |
| Inventory Turnover | 3.3x | 4/5 |
| Fixed Assets Turnover | 8.8x | 2/5 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | 54 days | 2/5 |
| Days Inventory | 111 days | 2/5 |
| Payables Period | 38 days | 4/6 |
| Cash Conversion Cycle | 127 days | – |
Income Statement
| Metric | CENT | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $3.08B | 1/6 |
| Operating Income | $249M | 1/5 |
| SG&A Expense | $754M | 1/6 |
| Cost of Goods Sold | $2.08B | 1/6 |
Dividend & Shareholder Information
| Metric | CENT | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Shares Outstanding | 63M | – |
Balance Sheet Highlights (USD millions)
| Total Current Assets | $2.13B | |
| Cash & Short-term Investments | $997M | 86.2% of assets |
| Accounts Receivable | $460M | 39.8% of assets |
| Inventory | $632M | 54.6% of assets |
| Total Liabilities | $697M | 60.3% of assets |
| Short-term Debt | $346M | 30.0% of assets |
CENT quarterly financials and insider trading
Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) industry peers
Companies classified under the same SEC industry code as Central Garden & Pet Co (Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods): 6 common-stock issuers with a forecast this week, one row per issuer, largest first. This is a classification match, not a curated list of competitors.
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Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) stock news
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Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) stock forecast FAQ
What is the Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) stock forecast?
On Oct. 14, 2026, CENT is rated Neutral: its 90-day Alpha forecast sits in the middle 30% of the 4004 stocks scored that day.
How accurate are Central Garden & Pet Co stock predictions?
A per-ticker accuracy statistic for CENT is published only once its sample size is known. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4537 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-06-09 produced a positive net return in 73.7% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
How often are Central Garden & Pet Co forecasts updated?
Central Garden & Pet Co forecasts are refreshed on trading days as the daily model run completes. The forecast on this page was produced on Oct. 14, 2026.
Which companies are Central Garden & Pet Co's industry peers?
6 issuers in our coverage, CENT included, share the SEC industry code Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods. The largest are: Vestis Corp (VSTS), Educational Development Corp (EDUC), Natural Health Trends Corp (NHTC), Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc. (HYFM), Quest Patent Research Corp (QPRC).
This analysis is generated automatically using our proprietary AI systems and should not be considered personalized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own research and consider consulting a financial advisor before making investment decisions.