Central Garden & Pet Company (CENT)
Valuation Overview•Is Central Garden & Pet Company Overvalued or Undervalued?
Commands a peer premium multiple, but this multiple is justified by a strong intrinsic cash flow value.
Moderate quality score of 54/100, reflecting stable operating margins and manageable leverage.
Analysts remain bullish, forecasting further upside expansion with consensus targets suggesting solid gains.
Verdict: Average quality business weighed down by significant profitability concerns.
Wall Street is highly bullish, projecting significant upside with steady expected earnings growth. This outlook is strongly supported by highly attractive capital returns, driven predominantly by aggressive share repurchases.
Returns capital exclusively via buybacks — no active dividend
CENT demonstrates adequate business quality with stable profitability. However, the balance sheet carries elevated leverage, requiring careful monitoring of debt servicing capabilities.
The company is facing top-line contraction (-2.1% 3Y CAGR) paired with stable bottom-line earnings. Operating efficiency remains adequate with margins around 8.2%.
| Financial Metric | Trend (12Q) | Latest Qtr | 1Y Growth | 3Y CAGR | 5Y CAGR | 10Y CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $906.2M | -2.2% | -2.1% | +3.0% | +6.6% | |
| EBITDA | $93.3M | — | -3.5% | — | — | |
| Net Income | $79.4M | +50.8% | +2.3% | — | +17.7% | |
| EPS (Diluted) | $1.28 | +57.4% | +4.4% | +3.0% | +14.8% | |
| Free Cash Flow | -$60.1M | -17.2% | — | +5.6% | — |
| Metric | TTM | 3Y Avg | 5Y Avg | 10Y Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 32.2% | 29.7% | 29.7% | 29.8% |
| Operating Margin | 8.2% | 6.9% | 7.2% | 7.2% |
| Net Margin | 5.4% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 4.2% |
| FCF Margin | 8.9% | 10.1% | 6.2% | 6.0% |
| Quarter | EPS Est. | EPS Act. | Surprise | EPS | Rev |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2'26Latest | $1.08 | $1.29 | +19.4% | ||
| Q1'26 | $0.11 | $0.21 | +90.9% | ||
| Q4'25 | $-0.20 | $-0.09 | +53.9% | ||
| Q3'25 | $1.34 | $1.56 | +16.4% | ||
| Q2'25 | $0.94 | $1.04 | +10.6% | ||
| Q1'25 | $-0.03 | $0.21 | +800.0% | ||
| Q4'24 | $-0.19 | $-0.18 | +5.3% | ||
| Q3'24 | $1.21 | $1.32 | +9.1% |
Total return is +25.8% (1Y), outperforming the benchmark by +0.8%
| Period | Total Return | vs S&P 500 (Alpha) | Dividend Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | +35.1% | +25.8% | — |
| 1Y | +25.8% | +0.8% | — |
| 3YCAGR | +12.7% | -7.7% | — |
| 5YCAGR | +0.8% | -12.9% | — |
| 10YCAGR | +9.6% | -4.3% | — |
The S&P 500 is at 31.3x trailing P/E — Expensive relative to historical averages.
Quick answers to common questions about Central Garden & Pet Company (CENT) valuation, health, and returns.
Central Garden & Pet Company is estimated to be undervalued under our discounted cash flow framework. relative multiples indicate the stock is Expensive versus peers compared to industry peers. undervalued (implying +79.6% upside to DCF intrinsic value of $77.53)
Central Garden & Pet Company has multiple valuation anchors: DCF Intrinsic Value: $77.53 | Peer Relative Fair Value: $25.17 | Wall Street Analyst Target: $54.00 (implying +25.1% upside). A convergence of these signals offers higher conviction.
Central Garden & Pet Company displays fair financial health with a composite quality score of 54/100, supported by a Altman Z-Score of 2.3 (grey zone), Piotroski F-Score of 8/9, Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) of 9.1%.
Central Garden & Pet Company returns capital via buybacks instead of dividends, carrying a 5.7% buyback yield and reducing outstanding shares by -4.6% in the last 12 months.
Central Garden & Pet Company's current growth trajectory is Stable. The company achieved -2.2% 1Y revenue growth and +57.4% 1Y EPS growth, compared to its 3Y revenue CAGR of -2.1%.
Wall Street consensus is Buy based on 10 analysts, beating EPS expectations in 100% of recent quarters with a 12-quarter streak. The consensus price target represents a +25.1% change from current levels.
Investment risks for Central Garden & Pet Company include: -29.4% 1-year max drawdown. Volatility risk is characterized by a beta of 0.47x.
No. These computations are purely quantitative model outputs for informational purposes. They do not account for qualitative management shifts or macro events. Always consult a licensed RIA before buying or selling shares.
Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. All valuation models, scores, and target estimates are automated computations under stated assumptions and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any investment decision.