---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000887733-24-000018"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "CENT"
cik: "0000887733"
company_name: "CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO"
filed_at: "2024-08-07T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-05-31T12:00:55.972228+00:00"
event_type: "earnings"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.65
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Central Garden & Pet Q3 net sales $996M (-3% YoY); GAAP EPS $1.19 vs $1.25

## Summary
- Non-GAAP EPS $1.32 vs $1.40 a year ago; Pet segment sales up 1%, Garden down 6%.
- Gross margin expanded 70 bps to 31.8% on Cost & Simplicity program.
- Maintains FY2024 non-GAAP EPS guidance of $2.00 or better ($2.50 pre-stock dividend).
- Expects $15-20M grass seed inventory write-down in Q4; pottery wind-down incurred $11.1M one-time costs.
- Cash from operations $286M; total debt $1.2B; gross leverage 3.0x.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000887733-24-000018
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: CENT
- cik: 0000887733
- company_name: CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO
- filed_at: 2024-08-07T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: earnings
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.65
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 2.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/887733/000088773324000018/0000887733-24-000018-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/887733/000088773324000018/cent-20240807.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000887733-24-000018
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000887733-24-000018.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000887733-24-000018.txt

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.