Central Garden & Pet (CENT) Stock Fundamentals, Analysis & Risk Signals

Health score, price, valuation, risk signals, and key metrics at a glance.

Central Garden & Pet

NasdaqGS•Consumer Defensive•Packaged Foods

$40.62+0.54(0.01%)Pre-market

Market Cap

$2.49B

P/E

15.0x

P/S

0.8x

P/B

1.4x

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.

How this company scores

AverageMetricSide Score: 58/100

Strongest: Profitability (17/25); weakest: Cash & Earnings Quality (11/25).

Profitability17/25

Growth14/25

Balance Sheet & Red Flags16/25

Cash & Earnings Quality11/25

Strengths

Rising earningsProfit converts from growthImproving marginsNo share dilution

Valuation vs. 5-year range

Today's multiple positioned against its own trailing range — a visual premium/discount check.

P/E · 15.0x5y range 10.2x – 22.3x

Currently near its 20-quarter median.

P/S · 0.8x5y range 0.5x – 0.8x

Currently above its 20-quarter median.

P/B · 1.4x5y range 1.1x – 1.9x

Watch items

Data-driven signals worth keeping an eye on across the last 8 quarters

High Risk

Margin Pressure

Red Flag

The company posted negative operating margins in recent quarters — core operations are unprofitable.

Earnings Quality

Red Flag

Free cash flow has been negative in 4 of the last 8 quarters — earnings are not translating to cash.

Price & Volume

Market Cap $2.49B

Metrics at a Glance

as of June 2026

Revenue & Profit

Revenue, EBITDA, operating income, net income, EPS, and shares

TTM Revenue: $3.08B
Q. Revenue: $882.36M
TTM EBITDA: $331.72M
TTM Op. Income: $249.91M
Q. Op. Income: $125.84M
TTM Net Income: $166.31M
Q. Net Income: $89.86M
EPS: $1.46
Shares Out.: $61.45M

$3.08B in TTM revenue declined 1.2% YoY, reaching $882.36M last quarter. TTM EBITDA of $331.72M and TTM operating income of $249.91M show growth is flowing through to the bottom line. TTM net income of $166.31M means revenue is converting into profit. Over the past year, TTM revenue is down 1% — a weakening trend.

Margins

Gross, EBITDA, operating, and net margin trends

Gross Margin: 35.9%
EBITDA Margin: 16.5%
Op. Margin: 14.3%
Net Margin: 10.2%

Op. margin of 14.3% is up 0.2% YoY — cost efficiency is improving. Net margin at 10.2% and gross margin of 35.9% show how much of each revenue dollar survives to profit. Across the last 8 quarters, operating margin has risen for 3 consecutive quarters — an improving trend.

Price Ratios

P/E, P/S, P/B, EV/EBITDA, FCF yield, and earnings yield

P/E Ratio: 15.0x
P/S Ratio: 0.8x
P/B Ratio: 1.4x

At 15.0x P/E, the stock trades below typical market levels. P/S of 0.8x and P/B of 1.4x provide additional context. Use the growth and margin sections to judge whether the multiple is justified. Across the last 8 quarters, P/E has risen for 3 consecutive quarters — a weakening trend.

Assets & Liabilities

Total assets, cash, debt, book value, and leverage

Total Assets: $3.79B
Cash: $996.71M
Long-Term Debt: $1.19B
Book Value: $1.75B
D/E Ratio: 0.7
Debt/EBITDA: 8.2

With $3.79B in assets and $1.19B in long-term debt, D/E is 0.7and book value is $1.75B — a conservative capital structure with a cushion to weather downturns. Across the last 8 quarters, debt/equity has fallen for 2 consecutive quarters — an improving trend.

Cash Flow

Operating cash flow, free cash flow, FCF margin, and earnings quality

Op. Cash Flow: $327.46M
TTM Free Cash Flow: $345.63M
FCF Margin: 11.2%
FCF / Net Income: 2.1

TTM FCF of $345.63M on $327.46M in operating cash flow. The FCF / Net Income ratio of 2.1x means free cash flow covers net income — earnings are backed by cash. Over the past year, free cash flow is up 11% — an improving trend.