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Central Garden & Pet CoCENT +0.14%74 Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is $64.17 as of Aug. 29, 2026. GuruFocus rates CENT with a GF Score™ of 74/100 and a GF Value™ of $37.28 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 220 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, Central Garden & Pet Co ranks better than 67.73% on this metric.
Note: Discounted Cash Flow model is only suitable for predictable companies (Business Predictability Rank higher than 1-Star). If the company's predictability rank is 1-Star or Not Rated, result may not be accurate due to the low predictability of business and the data will not be stored into our database.
The industry rank for Central Garden & Pet Co's Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) or its related term are showing as below:
CENT's Price-to-DCF (FCF Based) is ranked better than 67.73% of 220
companies
in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry
Industry Median: 1.1
vs CENT: 0.68
1. The DCF model evaluates a company based on its future earnings power
2. Growth is taken into account; therefore a faster growth company is worth more if everything else is the same.
3. Since we are projecting future growth, it is assumed that the company will grow at the same rate as it did during the past 10 years. Therefore this model works better for the companies that have relatively consistent performance.
4. The DCF model works poorly for inconsistent performers such as cyclicals.
5. What discount rate should you use? Your expected return from the investment is a good discount rate assumption.
6. A larger margin of safety should be required for companies with less predictable businesses.
Central Garden & Pet Co Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) Related Terms
Central Garden & Pet Co Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Central Garden & Pet Co's Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Central Garden & Pet Co Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) Chart
For the Packaged Foods subindustry, Central Garden & Pet Co's Price-to-DCF (FCF Based), along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-DCF (FCF Based) data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Central Garden & Pet Co Price-to-DCF (FCF Based) vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Central Garden & Pet Co's Price-to-DCF (FCF Based) distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Central Garden & Pet Co's Price-to-DCF (FCF Based) falls into.
Central Garden & Pet Co Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) Calculation
This is the intrinsic value calculated from the Discounted Cash Flow model with default parameters. In a discounted cash flow model, the future cash flow is estimated based on a cash flow growth rate and a discount rate. The cash flow of the future is discounted to its current value at the discount rate. All of the discounted future cash flow is added together to get the current intrinsic value of the company.
Usually a two-stage model is used when calculating a stock's intrinsic value using a discounted cash flow model. The first stage is called the growth stage; the second is called the terminal stage. In the growth stage the company grows at a faster rate. Because it cannot grow at that rate forever, a lower rate is used for the terminal stage.
GuruFocus DCF calculator is a two-stage model. The default values are defined as:
1. Discount Rate: d = 11% A reasonable discount rate assumption should be at least the long term average return of the stock market, which can be estimated from risk free rate plus risk premium of stock market. GuruFocus uses 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate as the risk-free rate and rounded up to the nearest integer. It is updated daily. The current risk-free rate is 4.73%. Please go to Economic Indicators page for more information. Please note that we use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the country/region where the company is headquartered. If the data for that country/region is not available, then we will use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the United States as default. Then we added a risk premium of 6% to get the estimated discount rate. Some investors use their expected rate of return, which is also reasonable. A typical discount rate can be anywhere between 6% - 20%.
2. Growth Rate in the growth stage: g1 = 5%
The Growth Rate in the growth stage is initially set as the default 10-Year FCF Growth Rate (Per Share). In cases where the 10-year growth rate is unavailable, it defaults to using the 5-Year FCF Growth Rate (Per Share). If both the 10-year and 5-year growth rates are unavailable, the system defaults to the 3-Year FCF Growth Rate (Per Share).
However, it's important to note that there is a growth rate range. If the calculated growth rate exceeds 20%, it will be capped at 20%. Conversely, if the calculated growth rate falls below 5%, it will be adjusted to 5% to maintain a reasonable range.
=>
Central Garden & Pet Co's average Free Cash Flow Growth Rate in the past
3 years was 0.00%,
which is less than 5%. GuruFocus defaults => Growth Rate: 5%
3. Years of Growth Stage: y1 = 10
4. Terminal Growth Rate: g2 = 4%
5. Years of Terminal Growth: y2 = 10
6. Free Cash Flow per Share: fcf = $5.560. However, GuruFocus DCF calculator is actually a Discounted Earnings calculator, the EPS without NRI is used as the default. The reason we are doing this is we found that historically stock prices are more correlated with earnings than free cash flow.
All of the default settings can be changed and the results are calculated automatically.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
What does a Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) of $64.17 mean?
Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) has a Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) of $64.17 as of Aug. 29, 2026. Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is the stock value based on a two-stage discounted free cash flow model. View historical data on Central Garden & Pet Co and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Central Garden & Pet Co ranks #71 out of 220 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, placing it in the top 32.3%.
Is Central Garden & Pet Co's Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) too high?
Central Garden & Pet Co's current Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is $64.17. The Consumer Packaged Goods industry median Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is 1.10. Central Garden & Pet Co's value of $64.17 is 5733.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Central Garden & Pet Co ranks #71 out of 220 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Central Garden & Pet Co has a GF Score™ of 74/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Central Garden & Pet Co's Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) compare to FRPT and MZTI?
According to the Consumer Packaged Goods industry distribution chart, Central Garden & Pet Co ranks #71 out of 220 companies for Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based). This puts Central Garden & Pet Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is 1.10. Central Garden & Pet Co's value of $64.17 is 5733.6% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) for a Consumer Packaged Goods company?
The median Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) among Consumer Packaged Goods companies is 1.10, based on 220 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Central Garden & Pet Co's current Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) of $64.17 is 5733.6% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) mean?
A high Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is the stock value based on a two-stage discounted free cash flow model. View historical data on Central Garden & Pet Co and its competitors. For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the median Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is 1.10 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Central Garden & Pet Co's current Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is $64.17. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Central Garden & Pet Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $37.28, compared to a current price of $43.80 — trading 17.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is $64.17 and 5733.6% above the Consumer Packaged Goods industry median of 1.10. Central Garden & Pet Co's overall GF Score™ is 74/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) calculated?
Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT), the current Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is $64.17 as of Aug. 29, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Central Garden & Pet Co (CENT) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Central Garden & Pet Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $43.80 is trading 17.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $37.28.
GuruFocus considers Central Garden & Pet Co to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for CENT:
Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based): $64.17
GF Value™: $37.28 vs. price of $43.80 (17.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 5733.6% above the Consumer Packaged Goods median (#71 of 220)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CENT stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Central Garden & Pet Co offers solutions that support healthier pets, greener lawns, and thriving gardens. Its products include dog and cat treats, chews, toys, beds, containment, grooming supplies, aquatics, small animal and bird supplies, equine and livestock products, insect control solutions, grass seed, wild bird feed, fertilizers, pest controls, live plants, and packet seeds, sold under brands such as Aqueon, Nylabone, Kaytee, Farnam, Pennington, Ferry Morse, Amdro, and Sevin. The company operates through two segments, Pet and Garden, and sells through retailers, independent stores, eCommerce channels, and professional markets. It has sales and distribution operations mainly across the United States, with additional facilities in Canada and Mexico.
74GF Score
Get the complete analysis for CENT
Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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