CENTA · Central Garden & Pet Co
Price & Indicators
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AI Brief
Q3 FY26 earnings call · Aug 5, 2026TL;DR. Central Garden & Pet reported Q3 organic sales growth of 2%, expanded non-GAAP operating margin 90 bps to 15.4%, and raised fiscal 2026 non-GAAP EPS guidance from $2.70 to $2.85 or better, while announcing a definitive agreement to acquire an 80% stake in European pet supplies leader Trixie for up to €400 million.
- + Raised fiscal 2026 non-GAAP diluted EPS guidance from $2.70 or better to $2.85 or better
- + Organic net sales grew 2% to $862 million driven by growth in both segments
- + Non-GAAP operating margin expanded 90 basis points to 15.4%
- + Announced acquisition of 80% stake in Trixie, expanding international footprint to ~10% of combined sales outside U.S.
- + Garden segment adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 20.9% from 20.4%
- + Record operating cash flow of $327 million and net leverage at all-time low of 0.5x provides financial flexibility
- − Reported net sales declined 8% to $882 million due to pet distribution business exit
- − Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.54 declined from $1.56 in prior year quarter
- − Dog and Cat business experienced supply disruption from South American plant fire, reducing sales and margins
AI-generated from the earnings call and 8-K · may contain errors · not investment advice
Guidance & track record
Guidance from company 8-Ks · delivered figures from as-reported statements · no analyst estimates involved.
Technicals
trend & momentum for long-term holders illustrative — not investment adviceIllustrative technical + ownership context — a signal mix, not investment advice.
Key metrics
the company's own KPIs, from written earnings releases and filings| Metric | Latest | Period | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-GAAP SG&A as a percentage of net sales non-GAAP | 20.6% | the three months ended June 27, 2026 filing | — |
| Selling, general and administrative expense non-GAAP | 20.6% | the third quarter of fiscal 2026 filing | — |
| Adjusted EBITDA non-GAAP | 351.11M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
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| Corporate Adjusted EBITDA non-GAAP | -68.06M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Garden Segment Adjusted EBITDA non-GAAP | 184.63M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Garden Segment GAAP operating margin | 13.2% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Garden Segment Non-GAAP operating income non-GAAP | 154.37M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Gross margin | 33.5% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Net sales organic non-GAAP | 2.17B | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Non-GAAP diluted net income per share non-GAAP | $3.04 | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Non-GAAP Garden Segment operating margin non-GAAP | 13.9% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Non-GAAP net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company non-GAAP | 187.99M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Non-GAAP operating income non-GAAP | 274.44M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Non-GAAP operating margin non-GAAP | 11.4% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Non-GAAP Pet Segment operating margin non-GAAP | 15.8% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Operating margin | 10.7% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Organic net sales non-GAAP | 2.17B | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Organic net sales growth non-GAAP | 3.3% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Pet non-GAAP operating margin non-GAAP | 15.8% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Pet organic net sales non-GAAP | 1.06B | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Pet Segment Adjusted EBITDA non-GAAP | 234.55M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Pet Segment GAAP operating margin | 15% | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
| Pet Segment Non-GAAP operating income non-GAAP | 204.53M | Nine Months Ended June 27, 2026 | — |
Figures exactly as the company stated them in writing · click a metric with a to chart its history · period links open the stating document · "filing" marks figures stated in the 10-K/10-Q · YoY needs an exactly comparable prior-year period
Versus peers
Packaged Foods — same industry group| Company | Mkt cap | YTD | Rev growth Y/Y | P/E | Short % shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CENTA
this stock
Central Garden & Pet Co
|
$2.54B | +19.9% | -2.2% | — | — |
|
JBS
Jbs N.V.
|
$42.70B | -10.0% | — | — | 1.3% |
|
KHC
Kraft Heinz Co
|
$26.41B | -8.2% | -0.1% | — | 7.8% |
|
GIS
General Mills Inc
|
$17.27B | -30.6% | +4.1% | — | 7.7% |
|
SJM
J M SMUCKER Co
|
$12.80B | +22.5% | +3.7% | — | 4.0% |
Peers by industry group · P/E from as-reported trailing EPS · short % is of shares outstanding
At a glance
key data from every sectionPerformance
| 5D | 20D | 120D | MTD | YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENTA | +2.1% | +0.8% | +0.3% | +4.4% | +19.9% |
| SPY | +1.2% | +1.9% | +9.9% | +2.1% | +14.2% |
| vs SPY | +0.9% | -1.1% | -9.6% | +2.3% | +5.7% |
Capital returns
Dividends per share over the trailing 365 days by ex-date · buyback figures as last reported in SEC filings ("spent" derived as authorized − remaining; when several programs run concurrently, authorized is their combined total per the newest filing) · components shown separately — trailing-year buyback spend isn't tracked, so no combined shareholder yield is derived.