Central Garden & Pet (CENT) CFO uses 776 shares to cover tax on restricted stock

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Central Garden & Pet’s Chief Financial Officer Bradley G. Smith reported a routine tax-related share withholding. On February 6, 2026, 776 shares of Class A common stock were delivered at $33.60 per share to cover withholding taxes due upon vesting of restricted stock. After this transaction, Smith directly beneficially owned 9,731 Class A common shares.

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^*

Smith Bradley G.

(Last) (First) (Middle)

1340 TREAT BOULEVARD

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 Financial 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)		776	D	$33.6	9,731	D

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 Febrauary 6, 2026.

	/s/Bradley Smith	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 on February 6, 2026?

CENT reported that its Chief Financial Officer, Bradley G. Smith, delivered 776 Class A common shares on February 6, 2026. These shares were used to satisfy withholding tax obligations triggered by the vesting of restricted stock awards.

How many CENTRAL GARDEN & PET (CENT) shares did the CFO use for tax withholding?

The CFO used 776 shares of CENTRAL GARDEN & PET Class A common stock to pay withholding taxes. The shares were valued at $33.60 each, based on the average of the high and low CENTA sale prices on February 6, 2026.

How many CENT shares does the CFO own after the reported Form 4 transaction?

After the transaction, Chief Financial Officer Bradley G. Smith beneficially owned 9,731 shares of CENTRAL GARDEN & PET Class A common stock. This figure reflects his direct holdings following the tax withholding share delivery on February 6, 2026.

Was the February 6, 2026 CENT insider transaction an open market sale?

No, the transaction was not an open market sale. The 776 CENT Class A shares were delivered by the CFO specifically to pay the withholding tax liability that arose when his restricted stock vested on February 6, 2026.

How was the price determined for CENT shares used to pay taxes by the CFO?

The price for the 776 CENT Class A shares was set at $33.60 per share. This amount was based on the average of the high and low CENTA sales prices on February 6, 2026, as described in the Form 4 footnote.