CENTA
Central Garden & Pet Company Consumer Defensive - Packaged Foods Investor Relations →
Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) closed at $37.78 as of 2026-06-19, trading 17.9% above its 200-week moving average of $32.04. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 18.0% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 70, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.5x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.13 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 962 weeks of data, CENTA has crossed below its 200-week moving average 23 times. On average, these episodes lasted 14 weeks. Historically, investors who bought CENTA at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +15.1%.
With a market cap of $2.4 billion, CENTA is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 10.1%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at 10.8%. The stock trades at 1.4x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 7.3% over the past three years.
Over the past 18.5 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CENTA would have grown to $857, compared to $763 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 12.3% vs 11.6% for the index — confirming CENTA as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: CENTA vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After CENTA Crosses Below the Line?
Across 23 historical episodes, buying CENTA when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +15.2% after 12 months (median +14.0%), compared to +13.8% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 65% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +40.0% vs +37.5% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment CENTA crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Bean Score Experimental
The Bean Score measures how far a stock's free cash flow yield has deviated from its own quarterly baseline, normalized by the stock's historical behavior. Between earnings dates, FCF is constant — so the score is purely a function of stock price. The levels below show at what prices CENTA would reach each dislocation threshold.
Dislocation Price Levels
Prices where CENTA's Bean Score would hit each σ threshold. Valid until next earnings report: 2026-08-05.
| Level | σ | Price | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Value | +2σ | $31.35 | Unusually cheap — potential buy zone |
| Value | +1σ | $32.96 | Cheap vs. own history |
| Fair Value | +0σ | $34.75 | Historical mean behavior |
| Expensive | -1σ | $36.75 | Expensive vs. own history |
| Deep Expensive | -2σ | $38.98 | Unusually expensive — potential trim zone |
Quarterly FCF & Yield Trailing twelve-month free cash flow and yield at each quarter end
Signal Accuracy Collecting Data
The Bean Score system is accumulating weekly data to validate signal accuracy. After 13+ weeks of history, this section will display win rates and average returns for each σ threshold crossing — answering the question: "When this score says cheap or expensive, does the price subsequently move in the expected direction?"
Theoretical framework — not backtested or forward-tested. The Bean Score uses trailing twelve-month free cash flow yield as a dislocation identifier. It measures whether the market has pushed a stock's yield unusually far from its own baseline behavior. These levels are reference points for identifying potential swing trade opportunities, not buy/sell signals. FCF values update quarterly with earnings; between reports, all movement is price-driven.
Dislocation Scores Experimental
Each score measures deviation from CENTA's own historical baseline — the same idea as the Bean Score, applied to different fundamentals. Positive means cheaper or more dislocated than this stock's norm. Scores marked σ are normalized by the stock's own variability; pp values are simple deltas from its recent baseline.
Theoretical framework — not backtested. These scores describe how unusual today's readings are for this specific company. They are starting points for research, not buy or sell signals. Annual-statement scores (buyback, accruals, FCF vs history) rest on only ~4 yearly data points and are deltas, not sigmas.
Historical Touches
CENTA has crossed below its 200-week MA 23 times with an average 1-year return of +15.1% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | Mar 2009 | 62 | 69.3% | +56.4% | +1083.6% |
| Nov 2009 | Nov 2009 | 1 | 1.5% | +11.3% | +480.2% |
| Aug 2011 | Oct 2011 | 10 | 14.9% | +44.5% | +529.7% |
| Nov 2011 | Nov 2011 | 1 | 3.8% | +46.4% | +497.0% |
| Dec 2011 | Dec 2011 | 1 | 0.3% | +16.5% | +472.4% |
| Dec 2012 | Dec 2012 | 1 | 0.8% | -35.2% | +391.4% |
| Jan 2013 | Jun 2014 | 74 | 35.3% | -35.9% | +399.2% |
| Jul 2014 | Jul 2014 | 3 | 1.5% | +24.6% | +427.1% |
| Aug 2014 | Aug 2014 | 2 | 3.9% | +39.0% | +449.1% |
| Sep 2014 | Dec 2014 | 14 | 17.4% | +69.5% | +451.7% |
| Feb 2019 | Feb 2019 | 1 | 0.8% | +7.1% | +75.4% |
| Mar 2019 | May 2020 | 61 | 26.6% | -2.0% | +75.0% |
| Sep 2022 | Oct 2022 | 5 | 5.8% | +19.7% | +34.1% |
| Dec 2022 | Jan 2023 | 4 | 4.8% | +20.8% | +35.6% |
| Mar 2023 | Mar 2023 | 2 | 0.7% | +19.1% | +26.6% |
| Apr 2023 | Jul 2023 | 15 | 8.2% | +22.0% | +33.5% |
| Oct 2023 | Dec 2023 | 6 | 8.7% | -6.0% | +22.6% |
| Jun 2024 | Jul 2024 | 5 | 3.1% | -7.2% | +16.0% |
| Sep 2024 | Nov 2024 | 12 | 13.5% | +2.5% | +13.4% |
| Dec 2024 | Jul 2025 | 28 | 10.8% | -11.1% | +13.5% |
| Aug 2025 | Aug 2025 | 2 | 5.9% | N/A | +23.0% |
| Sep 2025 | Feb 2026 | 21 | 17.3% | N/A | +16.8% |
| Mar 2026 | Apr 2026 | 3 | 2.4% | N/A | +21.2% |
| Average | 14 | — | +15.1% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CENTA below its 200-week moving average?
No. Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) is currently 17.9% above its 200-week moving average of $32.04. It would need to fall to $32.04 to cross below the line.
What is CENTA's 200-week moving average price?
Central Garden & Pet Company's 200-week moving average is $32.04 as of 2026-06-19. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when CENTA drops below its 200-week moving average?
CENTA has crossed below its 200-week moving average 23 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +15.1%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 14 weeks on average.
Is CENTA a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about CENTA as of 2026-06-19: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 70. Free cash flow yield is 10.1%. Return on equity is 10.8%. Price-to-book is 1.4x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does CENTA compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 18.5 years, $100 invested in CENTA would have grown to $857, compared to $763 for the S&P 500. That's 12.3% annualized vs 11.6% for the index. CENTA has outperformed the broader market over this period.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-06-19