Central Garden & Pet (CENT) CAO logs option exercise and tax-share withholdings

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Central Garden & Pet’s Chief Accounting Officer, Howard Machek, reported multiple equity transactions in Class A common stock on January 30, 2026. He exercised a stock option for 4,255 shares at $22.80 per share, converting the option into common stock.

The filing shows 2,253 Class A shares acquired at $0, linked to settlement of performance share units. It also reports share withholdings of 985 shares and 3,667 shares at $30.22 per share to cover tax liabilities on performance units and restricted stock. After these transactions, he directly held tens of thousands of Class A shares, plus 1,000 Common shares and 6,867 units in a 401(k) plan.

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

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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^*

Machek Howard

(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)

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

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/30/2026

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	01/30/2026		A		2,253	A	$0	47,344	D
Class A Common Stock	01/30/2026		F(1)		985	D	$30.22	46,359	D
Class A Common Stock	01/30/2026		M		4,255	A	$22.8	50,614	D
Class A Common Stock	01/30/2026		F(3)		3,667	D	$30.22	46,947	D
Common Stock								1,000	D
Units								6,867	I	By 401(k) Plan(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
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$22.8	01/30/2026		M			4,255	(4)	02/10/2026	Class A Common Stock	4,255	$0	0	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Shares delivered by Reporting Person in payment of the withholding tax liability upon settlement of performance share units.

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.

3. 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 January 30, 2026.

4. Options were granted on February 10, 2020, and all shares are vested and have been exercised.

	/s/Filomena Eickstaedt as Attorney-in-fact for Howard Machek	02/02/2026
	** 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).
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FAQ

What insider transactions did CENT officer Howard Machek report on January 30, 2026?

Howard Machek reported exercising options for 4,255 Class A shares and acquiring 2,253 Class A shares at $0. He also had shares withheld to cover taxes, all as part of routine equity compensation activity at Central Garden & Pet.

How many Central Garden & Pet (CENT) shares did Machek acquire or dispose of?

The filing shows 2,253 Class A shares acquired at $0 and tax-related withholdings of 985 and 3,667 Class A shares at $30.22. An option for 4,255 shares was fully exercised, converting into Class A common stock.

Were Howard Machek’s CENT stock transactions open-market buys or related to compensation?

The reported CENT transactions are tied to equity compensation, not open-market trading. Footnotes explain option exercise, performance share unit settlement, and restricted stock vesting, with some shares withheld to satisfy tax obligations rather than sold for investment purposes.

What Central Garden & Pet (CENT) stock and units does Machek hold after these transactions?

After the January 30, 2026 activity, Machek directly holds Class A common stock in the tens of thousands of shares, plus 1,000 Common shares. He also indirectly holds 6,867 units in the issuer’s 401(k) plan CENTA Stock Fund, representing CENTA stock and cash.

What do the tax-withholding transactions in Machek’s CENT Form 4 mean?

Two Form 4 entries labeled with code F reflect shares delivered to cover withholding tax liabilities on performance share unit settlement and restricted stock vesting. These are compensation-related tax events rather than discretionary stock sales in the open market.