Central Garden & Pet (CENT) CEO logs 1,357-share tax withholding in Form 4 filing

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Central Garden & Pet’s Chief Executive Officer and director Nicholas Lahanas reported a tax-related share withholding under the company’s equity plan. On February 6, 2026, he delivered 1,357 shares of Class A Common Stock at $33.60 per share to cover withholding taxes upon the vesting of restricted stock, rather than executing an open-market sale. Following this transaction, he beneficially owned 86,905 Class A shares directly and 3,318.686 units indirectly through the issuer’s 401(k) plan, where the units represent interests in a stock fund holding CENTA shares and cash.

Insights

Equity compensation & insider-trading analyst

Routine tax withholding on equity vesting; no discretionary insider sale disclosed.

The filing shows Nicholas Lahanas, CEO and director of Central Garden & Pet, delivering 1,357 Class A shares at $33.6 per share. The code F and footnote explain these shares were withheld to pay taxes on vested restricted stock, a standard administrative event.

Because this is share withholding tied to compensation, it does not indicate a discretionary decision to sell shares in the open market. After the transaction, he held 86,905 Class A shares directly and 3,318.686 units in the 401(k) stock fund, so his overall exposure to the stock remains significant.

Subsequent company filings may provide additional context on future equity awards or changes in beneficial ownership, but this specific event appears routine within ongoing equity compensation and tax withholding practices.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

LAHANAS NICHOLAS

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY

1340 TREAT BLVD, SUITE 600

(Street)

WALNUT CREEK CA 94597

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO [ CENT ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chief Executive Officer

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/06/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Class A Common Stock	02/06/2026		F(1)		1,357	D	$33.6	86,905	D
Units								3,318.686	I	By 401(k) Units(2)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Shares delivered by Reporting Person in payment of the withholding tax liability upon vesting of restricted stock. The amount of shares withheld is based on the average of the high and low of the sales prices of CENTA on February 6, 2026.

2. The units represent interests in the CENTA Stock Fund in the Issuer's 401(k) Plan, which consist of shares of CENTA stock and cash.

	/s/Nicholas Lahanas	02/09/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

FAQ

What insider transaction did Central Garden & Pet (CENT) report for Nicholas Lahanas?

Central Garden & Pet reported CEO Nicholas Lahanas delivering 1,357 Class A shares at $33.60 per share. The Form 4 states this was to cover withholding taxes upon restricted stock vesting, rather than a discretionary open-market sale of shares.

Was the February 6, 2026 CENT Form 4 a tax withholding or an open-market sale?

The February 6, 2026 Form 4 shows a tax withholding transaction. Shares were delivered to satisfy withholding tax on vested restricted stock, coded “F,” and the footnote clarifies it was based on the average high and low trading price of CENTA that day.

How many Central Garden & Pet Class A shares does CEO Nicholas Lahanas hold after this Form 4?

After the reported transaction, Nicholas Lahanas beneficially owned 86,905 Class A Common Stock shares directly. The filing also shows an additional 3,318.686 units indirectly through the issuer’s 401(k) plan stock fund invested in CENTA shares and cash.

What does the 1,357-share transaction at $33.60 mean for CENT shareholders?

The 1,357-share transaction at $33.60 represents shares delivered for tax withholding on restricted stock vesting. It is an administrative equity-compensation event, not a traditional open-market sale, so it mainly reflects normal payroll-tax handling on executive stock awards.

How are the 3,318.686 indirect CENT holdings in the Form 4 structured?

The 3,318.686 units are interests in the CENTA Stock Fund in the company’s 401(k) plan. According to the filing footnote, this fund consists of shares of CENTA stock and cash, so these units represent indirect retirement-plan exposure rather than directly held common shares.

What does transaction code F indicate on the Central Garden & Pet Form 4?

Transaction code F on the Form 4 indicates a tax-related transfer of securities, typically share withholding. Here, it shows shares delivered by the reporting person to pay withholding taxes due upon the vesting of restricted stock granted as part of executive compensation.