Central Garden (CENTA) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: Can the Stock Move Higher?

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street anticipates a year-over-year decline in earnings for Central Garden (CENTA) due to lower revenues, with a focus on how actual results compare to estimates impacting stock price [1][2] Earnings Expectations - Central Garden is expected to report a quarterly loss of $0.20 per share, reflecting an 11.1% decrease year-over-year [3] - Revenue projections stand at $666.08 million, indicating a 0.5% decline from the previous year [3] Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised down by 8.33% over the last 30 days, indicating a reassessment by analysts [4] - The Most Accurate Estimate for Central Garden is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in a positive Earnings ESP of +6.56% [12] Earnings Surprise Prediction - The Zacks Earnings ESP model suggests that a positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, especially when combined with a Zacks Rank of 1, 2, or 3 [10] - Central Garden currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3, indicating a likelihood of beating the consensus EPS estimate [12] Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, Central Garden exceeded expectations by delivering earnings of $1.56 per share against an expected $1.34, resulting in a surprise of +16.42% [13] - The company has beaten consensus EPS estimates in all of the last four quarters [14] Conclusion - While Central Garden is positioned as a compelling earnings-beat candidate, other factors may influence stock movement beyond just earnings results [15][17]