CENTA
Central Garden & Pet Company Consumer Defensive - Packaged Foods Investor Relations →
Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) closed at $33.48 as of 2026-05-01, trading 4.8% above its 200-week moving average of $31.96. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 8.8% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 62, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.1x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.09 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 955 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 $2.1 billion, CENTA is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 12.0%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at 10.1%. The stock trades at 1.3x 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 18.3 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CENTA would have grown to $760, compared to $733 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 11.7% vs 11.5% for the index — confirming CENTA as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($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 22 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 +41.5% vs +37.3% 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.
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% | +948.9% |
| Nov 2009 | Nov 2009 | 1 | 1.5% | +11.3% | +414.1% |
| Aug 2011 | Oct 2011 | 10 | 14.9% | +44.5% | +458.0% |
| Nov 2011 | Nov 2011 | 1 | 3.8% | +46.4% | +429.1% |
| Dec 2011 | Dec 2011 | 1 | 0.3% | +16.5% | +407.3% |
| Dec 2012 | Dec 2012 | 1 | 0.8% | -35.2% | +335.5% |
| Jan 2013 | Jun 2014 | 74 | 35.3% | -35.9% | +342.4% |
| Jul 2014 | Jul 2014 | 3 | 1.5% | +24.6% | +367.1% |
| Aug 2014 | Aug 2014 | 2 | 3.9% | +39.0% | +386.6% |
| Sep 2014 | Dec 2014 | 14 | 17.4% | +69.5% | +388.9% |
| Feb 2019 | Feb 2019 | 1 | 0.8% | +7.1% | +55.4% |
| Mar 2019 | May 2020 | 61 | 26.6% | -2.0% | +55.1% |
| Sep 2022 | Oct 2022 | 5 | 5.8% | +19.7% | +18.9% |
| Dec 2022 | Jan 2023 | 4 | 4.8% | +20.8% | +20.2% |
| Mar 2023 | Mar 2023 | 2 | 0.7% | +19.1% | +12.2% |
| Apr 2023 | Jul 2023 | 15 | 8.2% | +22.0% | +18.3% |
| Oct 2023 | Dec 2023 | 6 | 8.7% | -6.0% | +8.6% |
| Jun 2024 | Jul 2024 | 5 | 3.1% | -7.2% | +2.8% |
| Sep 2024 | Nov 2024 | 12 | 13.5% | +2.5% | +0.5% |
| Dec 2024 | Jul 2025 | 28 | 10.8% | -11.1% | +0.5% |
| Aug 2025 | Aug 2025 | 2 | 5.9% | N/A | +9.0% |
| Sep 2025 | Feb 2026 | 21 | 17.3% | N/A | +3.5% |
| Mar 2026 | Apr 2026 | 3 | 2.4% | N/A | +7.4% |
| Average | 14 | — | +15.1% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CENTA below its 200-week moving average?
No. Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA) is currently 4.8% above its 200-week moving average of $31.96. It would need to fall to $31.96 to cross below the line.
What is CENTA's 200-week moving average price?
Central Garden & Pet Company's 200-week moving average is $31.96 as of 2026-05-01. 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 2026-05-01: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 62. Free cash flow yield is 12.0%. Return on equity is 10.1%. Price-to-book is 1.3x. 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 18.3 years, $100 invested in CENTA would have grown to $760, compared to $733 for the S&P 500. That's 11.7% annualized vs 11.5% 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 2026-05-01