Central Garden & Pet (CENT) vs Post (POST)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
Central Garden & Pet (CENT) has outperformed Post (POST) over the past year, gaining 29.8% versus a loss of 32.6%. Over five years, POST leads with a +5.2% price change compared with +3.7% for CENT. Post is the larger company by market cap ($3.19 billion vs $2.51 billion), about 1.3 times the size.
On valuation, Post trades at a lower forward P/E (10.1x vs 13.1x for Central Garden & Pet).
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 | POST |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $40.15 | $72.54 |
| Market cap | $2.51B | $3.19B |
| 1-day change | +0.32% | -1.06% |
| YTD return | +24.88% | -26.76% |
| 1-year return | +29.81% | -32.63% |
| 5-year return | +3.70% | +5.17% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 14.87 | 13.19 |
| Forward P/E | 13.14 | 10.08 |
| EPS (TTM) | $2.70 | $5.50 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 52-week high | $46.97 | $117.28 |
| 52-week low | $28.77 | $71.45 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -14.52% | -38.15% |
| Analyst consensus | none | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +32.00% | +43.37% |
| Average volume | 98.02K | 948.42K |
| Shares outstanding | 9.65M | 43.96M |
| Employees | 6,000 | 13,180 |
| 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
- CENT has outperformed POST by 62.4 percentage points over the past year.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Central Garden & Pet in Consumer Discretionary and Post 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
About Post
POST stock →Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally.
Consumer Staples · Packaged Foods · 13,180 employees
CENT vs POST FAQ
Which is bigger, Central Garden & Pet or Post?
Post (POST) is larger, with a market capitalization of $3.19B compared with $2.51B for Central Garden & Pet (CENT).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CENT or POST?
CENT returned +29.81% over the past 12 months, compared with -32.63% for POST (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CENT or POST?
POST has the lower trailing P/E at 13.2, versus 14.9 for CENT. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Are Central Garden & Pet and Post in the same industry?
No. Central Garden & Pet is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, while Post is in Consumer Staples.