Central Garden (CENT) awards 3,584 Class A shares to director

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Ranelli John reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

Central Garden & Pet Company director John Ranelli received an equity grant of 3,584 shares of Class A Common Stock on February 11, 2026. The shares were awarded as restricted stock under the company’s Nonemployee Director Equity Incentive Plan at a price of $0 per share and are held directly.

In addition to this grant, a separate trust associated with Ranelli holds 4,314 shares of Class A Common Stock and 7,039 shares of Common Stock. He disclaims beneficial ownership of the trust-held shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest.

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

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

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^*

Ranelli John

(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
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/11/2026

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	02/11/2026		A		3,584(1)	A	$0	3,584	D
Class A Common Stock								4,314	I	By John R. Ranelli Trust(2)
Common Stock								7,039	I	By John R. Ranelli Trust(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. Restricted stock award granted under the Company's Nonemployee Director Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.

2. Mr. Ranelli disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of the Company's Common Stock and Class A Common Stock owned by the John R. Ranelli Trust dated 12/24/97 except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

	/s/Filomena Eickstaedt as Attorney-in-fact for John Ranelli	02/13/2026
	** 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 CENT director John Ranelli report?

John Ranelli reported receiving 3,584 Class A shares of Central Garden & Pet Company on February 11, 2026 as a restricted stock award. The grant was made at $0 per share under the company’s Nonemployee Director Equity Incentive Plan.

How many CENT Class A shares did John Ranelli receive directly?

Ranelli received 3,584 Class A Common shares directly through a restricted stock award on February 11, 2026. These shares are reported as directly owned, separate from additional shares held indirectly through a trust structure.

What CENT shares are held through the John R. Ranelli Trust?

The John R. Ranelli Trust holds 4,314 Class A shares and 7,039 Common Stock shares of Central Garden & Pet Company. Ranelli reports these as indirectly owned and disclaims beneficial ownership except for his pecuniary interest in the trust.

Under what plan was the CENT restricted stock granted to Ranelli?

The restricted stock was granted under Central’s Nonemployee Director Equity Incentive Plan, as amended. This plan provides stock-based awards to nonemployee directors, and Ranelli’s 3,584-share Class A award is reported as a grant at $0 per share.

Does the Form 4 show a CENT stock sale by John Ranelli?

The Form 4 reports an equity grant, not a sale. It shows Ranelli acquiring 3,584 Class A Common shares as restricted stock, plus indirect holdings in a trust, with no transactions coded as sales in this filing.