NASDAQ: CENT · Packaged Foods
Central Garden & Pet (CENT) fair value: undervalued or overvalued?
As of 3 Oct 2026, Faircurve's model values Central Garden & Pet (CENT) at $42.12 a share. The stock last closed at $39.81, which puts the model's fair value 5.8% above the price. On the model's bands that reads as Fairly valued.
Revalued . Price is the close of 2 Oct 2026. Central Garden & Pet Company.
Faircurve Insights · 3 Oct 2026
Central Garden & Pet Company is a market leader in the U.S. pet and garden industries. The company operates through two reportable segments: Pet and Garden.
On 3 Oct 2026, Faircurve's model gave a fair value of $42.12 a share, the midpoint of 2,000 simulations. The previous run, on 26 Sep 2026, gave $46.74, so the fair value moved -9.9%. The calibrated range over 63 trading days was $35.14 to $51.06, built from the fair value. Ranges built this way held the price 60% of the time at this horizon, and the model graded the evidence as Medium.
The company's overall quality score was 63 out of 100 against comparable companies. The model compares it with Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA), Freshpet, Inc. (FRPT), J&J Snack Foods Corp. (JJSF), Flowers Foods, Inc. (FLO), Campbell Soup Company (CPB), and Ingredion Incorporated (INGR). Around the last 8 earnings reports, the median size of moves, ignoring direction, was 6.0%.
Written from the figures on this page for the 3 Oct 2026 valuation and checked by rule before publishing: every number is one printed here, no forecast, no instruction. The price, the gap and the verdict are the page's own and change daily. Not a recommendation.
What price range does the model give CENT?
The calibrated range for CENT over 63 trading days is $35.14 to $51.06. There is no live options data for this stock, so the range is built from the fair value and calibrated weekly against realised prices (n = 4,809 past valuations, refreshed 3 Oct 2026). Ranges built this way held the price 60% of the time at this horizon.
The model's own simulated range, from the 20th to the 80th percentile of its runs, is $32.87 to $53.31. In 57% of the simulations the fair value came out above the price the model ran on.
How does CENT score on business quality?
Central Garden & Pet's overall quality score is 63 out of 100. Each factor below is a score against comparable companies, not a percentile of the metric beside it.
| Factor | Score (0 to 100) | Headline measure | Peer median |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProfitabilityReturn on invested capital against the peer group, with a bonus for an improving trend. | 52 | 8.8%ROIC | 8.4% |
| Earnings qualityHow much of reported profit is cash: free cash flow to net income, and the accrual ratio (the share of earnings that is not cash). | 88 | 2.08xFCF / net income | 1.35x |
| Growth qualityTrailing revenue growth, forward growth from consensus, and the direction of analyst estimate revisions. | 30 | -2.2%Revenue growth, trailing | -2.3% |
| Capital disciplineReinvestment efficiency (capital spending per unit of revenue) and net buybacks. | 72 | 1.2%Net buybacks / market value | 1.5% |
| Balance sheetNet debt to EBITDA and interest coverage. | 71 | 1.05xNet debt / EBITDA | 4.20x |
| StabilityDownside volatility of the EBITDA margin over the last five years. | 98 | 0.8 ptsEBITDA margin downside volatility, 5y | 1.9 pts |
How does CENT compare with similar companies?
The companies in packaged foods closest to Central Garden & Pet in market value, each on the same model and the same date.
| Company | Last close | Model fair value | Gap | Model verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENTA Central Garden & Pet Company | $34.28 | $35.06 | +2.3% | Fairly valued |
| FRPT Freshpet, Inc. | $60.26 | $60.09 | -0.3% | Fairly valued |
| POST Post Holdings, Inc. | $72.56 | $82.24 | +13.3% | Low evidence grade |
| JJSF J&J Snack Foods Corp. | $78.25 | $78.64 | +0.5% | Fairly valued |
| FLO Flowers Foods, Inc. | $5.57 | $5.65 | +1.4% | Fairly valued |
| CPB Campbell Soup Company | $19.62 | $15.84 | -19.3% | Overvalued |
| LW Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. | $43.60 | $47.31 | +8.5% | Low evidence grade |
| INGR Ingredion Incorporated | $95.33 | $104.20 | +9.3% | Fairly valued |
When does CENT report earnings, and how has the stock reacted?
Central Garden & Pet's next earnings report is scheduled for 23 Nov 2026. Companies can move their dates.
How CENT moved around its last 8 earnings reports
Each move runs from the last close before the report to the first close after it, so it covers companies that report before the open and after the close. The median size across these 8 reports, ignoring direction, was 6.0%.
| Report date | Two session move |
|---|---|
| 5 Aug 2026 | +5.6% |
| 6 May 2026 | +6.8% |
| 4 Feb 2026 | +6.1% |
| 24 Nov 2025 | +5.8% |
| 6 Aug 2025 | -11.4% |
| 7 May 2025 | -4.2% |
| 5 Feb 2025 | +9.1% |
| 25 Nov 2024 | +2.9% |
Central Garden & Pet at a glance
Central Garden & Pet Company (“Central”) is a market leader in the U.S. pet and garden industries. The company operates through two reportable segments: Pet and Garden.
- Market value
- $2.5B
- Sector
- Consumer Defensive
- Industry
- Packaged Foods
- Revenue expected, next twelve months
- $2.9B
- Consensus revenue growth, next fiscal year
- -3.9%
- Analysts with estimates
- 4
- Beta to the US market
- 0.26
- First valued by Faircurve
- 11 Jul 2026
How the fair value is worked out: the model prices Central Garden & Pet on the value of the whole business, debt included, against the operating profit analysts expect next year (forward EV/EBITDA), runs 2,000 simulations across its inputs and takes the midpoint. The full method is documented here.
What changed in the latest valuation?
On 26 Sep 2026 the model's fair value for CENT was $46.74. As of 3 Oct 2026 it is $42.12, a change of -9.9%. The model revalues every stock it covers each week, and again after an earnings report.
Questions about Central Garden & Pet's valuation
Is Central Garden & Pet stock undervalued or overvalued?
On Faircurve's model, CENT reads as Fairly valued as of 3 Oct 2026. The model's fair value is $42.12 a share against a last close of $39.81, a gap of +5.8%.
What is CENT's fair value?
$42.12 a share as of 3 Oct 2026, the midpoint of 2,000 simulations. The model's own 20th to 80th percentile range is $32.87 to $53.31.
What price range does the model give CENT?
$35.14 to $51.06 over 63 trading days. Ranges built this way held the price 60% of the time across 4,809 past valuations, refreshed 3 Oct 2026.
When does Central Garden & Pet report earnings next?
The next report is scheduled for 23 Nov 2026. Companies can move their dates.
How much has CENT moved on past earnings reports?
Across its last 8 reports the median two session move was 6.0%, ignoring direction. The largest was -11.4% around the report of 6 Aug 2025.
How confident is the model in this valuation?
The model's evidence grade for CENT is medium. The grade looks at how complete the inputs are, how many comparable companies there are and how closely they agree, and how wide the range of outcomes is. It is not a probability that the fair value is right, or that the price reaches it.