CENT Strengthens Animal Health Portfolio With Champion USA Acquisition

Central Garden & Pet CENT recently expanded its animal health platform with the acquisition of the U.S. assets of Champion USA, a well-known provider of feed-through cattle fly-control solutions. The transaction broadens the company’s presence in the livestock segment and adds the proprietary JustiFLY product line to its Professional business unit, aligning with CENT’s focus on higher-growth, value-added categories.

Champion USA brings more than 15 years of experience delivering EPA-approved, residue-free fly-control solutions that disrupt major fly lifecycles without harming beneficial insects, supporting pasture sustainability and soil health. The company has served over 300,000 producers and treated more than 50 million head of cattle worldwide, underscoring its strong market presence and trusted brand.

The acquisition is expected to enhance Central Garden & Pet’s growth profile by combining Champion’s established producer relationships and brand equity with CENT’s national distribution network, operational scale and innovation capabilities. Management has highlighted livestock fly control as one of the fastest-growing areas within animal health, driven by increasing demand for sustainable and cost-effective herd management solutions.

CENT Stock Past Three-Month Performance

Notably, Central Garden & Pet’s animal health business was already showing strong momentum in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, with solid growth across the Professional portfolio and equine categories, providing a favorable backdrop for the integration of Champion USA.

Operational continuity remains a priority, as Champion USA’s employees will transition into Central Garden & Pet’s Professional segment, ensuring consistent product quality, customer service and market coverage. The transaction closed on Dec. 12, 2025, with additional details expected during the company’s first-quarter earnings call in February 2026.

Overall, the Champion USA acquisition aligns well with Central Garden & Pet’s long-term strategy of expanding differentiated, high-quality animal health offerings. By strengthening its presence in sustainable livestock solutions, the company is positioning itself for steady, profitable growth while reinforcing its competitive standing within the Professional segment.

Central Garden & Pet’s Price Performance & Valuation

CENT shares have declined 6.3% in the past three months compared with the industry’s fall of 0.3%.

From a valuation standpoint, Central Garden & Pet trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.08X, down from the industry’s average of 15.94X. It has a Value Score of A.

CENT’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Central Garden & Pet currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks include:

Alto Ingredients Inc. ALTO is a producer of specialty alcohols and essential ingredients, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). ALTO has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 81.7%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALTO’s current financial-year sales and EPS calls for a decline of 2.7% and growth of 78.7%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

United Natural Foods, Inc. UNFI, North America’s premier grocery wholesaler, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1. UNFI has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 52.1%, on average. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for United Natural Foods’ current fiscal-year sales and EPS implies growth of 1% and 187.3%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

Reynolds Consumer Products Inc. REYN is a consumer-branded and private-label products company, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). REYN has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 2.6%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Reynolds’ current financial-year sales and EPS suggests declines of 0.2% and 2.4%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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