Director‑linked trust trims Central Garden & Pet (CENT) Class A stake

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Central Garden & Pet (CENT) director‑related trust reports share sale. A trust associated with director John Ranelli, the John R. Ranelli Trust, sold 3,668 shares of Class A Common Stock in an open‑market transaction on February 19, 2026 at an average price of $34.4968 per share.

The footnotes state the sale prices ranged from $34.455 to $34.56. After this sale, the trust held 646 Class A shares, while Ranelli also had 3,584 Class A shares held directly and 7,039 shares of Common Stock held indirectly through the trust. He disclaims beneficial ownership of the trust’s 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

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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^*

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)
02/19/2026

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	02/19/2026		S		3,668	D	$34.4968(1)	646	I	By the John R. Ranelli Trust(2)
Class A Common Stock								3,584	D
Common Stock								7,039	I	By the 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. The range of prices for the shares of Class A Common Stock is from $34.455 to $34.56. The Reporting Person undertakes that the Reporting Person will provide, upon request by the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, full information regarding the number of securities sold at each separate price.

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	02/23/2026
	** 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 transaction did CENT director John Ranelli report on this Form 4?

A trust associated with CENT director John Ranelli sold 3,668 Class A shares. The John R. Ranelli Trust executed an open‑market sale of Class A Common Stock on February 19, 2026, as disclosed in the Form 4 filing.

At what price were the Central Garden & Pet (CENT) shares sold in the trust transaction?

The trust’s Class A shares were sold at an average price of $34.4968. Footnotes specify the sale prices ranged from $34.455 to $34.56 per share, reflecting multiple trades within that narrow band on the transaction date.

How many Central Garden & Pet (CENT) shares did the Ranelli trust hold after the sale?

After the sale, the John R. Ranelli Trust held 646 Class A shares. This post‑transaction balance reflects the remaining indirect ownership in Class A Common Stock reported for the trust as of February 19, 2026.

What are John Ranelli’s remaining direct and indirect holdings in CENT stock after this filing?

Ranelli reported 3,584 Class A shares directly and 7,039 Common shares indirectly. The indirect Common Stock holdings are through the John R. Ranelli Trust, in addition to its 646 Class A shares after the reported sale.

Does John Ranelli fully own the Central Garden & Pet shares held by his trust?

He disclaims beneficial ownership of the trust’s shares except for his pecuniary interest. The filing states this disclaimer for both Common Stock and Class A Common Stock owned by the John R. Ranelli Trust.

Was the Central Garden & Pet (CENT) insider transaction a buy or a sell?

The reported insider transaction was a sale. The Form 4 identifies an open‑market sale of 3,668 shares of Class A Common Stock by the John R. Ranelli Trust on February 19, 2026.