Central Garden & Pet (CENT) vs Flowers Foods (FLO)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
Over five years, CENT leads with a +3.7% price change compared with -76.6% for FLO. Central Garden & Pet is the larger company by market cap ($2.51 billion vs $1.24 billion), about 2.0 times the size. On valuation, Flowers Foods trades at a lower forward P/E (8.2x vs 13.1x for Central Garden & Pet).
Flowers Foods pays a dividend yielding 14.86%, while Central Garden & Pet does not currently pay one.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | CENT | FLO |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $40.15 | $5.84 |
| Market cap | $2.51B | $1.24B |
| 1-day change | +0.32% | +1.74% |
| YTD return | +24.88% | — |
| 1-year return | +29.81% | — |
| 5-year return | +3.70% | -76.61% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 14.87 | 21.63 |
| Forward P/E | 13.14 | 8.17 |
| EPS (TTM) | $2.70 | $0.27 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 14.86% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.868 |
| 52-week high | $46.97 | $13.11 |
| 52-week low | $28.77 | $5.40 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -14.52% | -55.45% |
| Analyst consensus | none | — |
| Avg. price target upside | +32.00% | — |
| Average volume | 97.53K | 6.61M |
| Shares outstanding | 9.65M | 212.06M |
| Employees | 6,000 | — |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Staples |
| Industry | Consumer Specialties | Packaged Foods |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Central Garden & Pet is about 2.0 times larger than Flowers Foods by market value ($2.51B vs $1.24B).
- Flowers Foods trades at a higher earnings multiple (21.6x vs 14.9x trailing P/E).
- Flowers Foods offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (14.86% vs 0.00%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Central Garden & Pet in Consumer Discretionary and Flowers Foods in Consumer Staples.
About Central Garden & Pet
CENT stock →Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Pet and Garden.
Consumer Discretionary · Consumer Specialties · 6,000 employees
CENT vs FLO FAQ
Which is bigger, Central Garden & Pet or Flowers Foods?
Central Garden & Pet (CENT) is larger, with a market capitalization of $2.51B compared with $1.24B for Flowers Foods (FLO).
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CENT or FLO?
CENT has the lower trailing P/E at 14.9, versus 21.6 for FLO. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Central Garden & Pet or Flowers Foods?
Flowers Foods pays a dividend yielding 14.86%, while Central Garden & Pet does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Central Garden & Pet and Flowers Foods in the same industry?
No. Central Garden & Pet is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, while Flowers Foods is in Consumer Staples.