Comparing Vestis (NYSE:VSTS) & Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT)

Vestis (NYSE:VSTS) and Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) are both mid-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Vestis and Central Garden & Pet’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Vestis	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Central Garden & Pet	$3.27 billion	0.72	$152.15 million	$2.26	19.42

Central Garden & Pet has higher revenue and earnings than Vestis.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

17.7% of Central Garden & Pet shares are owned by institutional investors. 10.0% of Central Garden & Pet shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Vestis and Central Garden & Pet’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Vestis	N/A	N/A	N/A
Central Garden & Pet	3.70%	9.59%	3.96%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Vestis and Central Garden & Pet, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Vestis	0	1	4	0	2.80
Central Garden & Pet	0	0	1	0	3.00

Vestis currently has a consensus target price of $22.00, suggesting a potential upside of 35.97%. Central Garden & Pet has a consensus target price of $50.00, suggesting a potential upside of 13.95%. Given Vestis’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Vestis is more favorable than Central Garden & Pet.

Summary

Central Garden & Pet beats Vestis on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Vestis

Vestis Corporation provides customized uniform rental and purchase programs in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Japan. The company's products include uniforms, floor mats, towel service, restroom supplies, equipment, mops, first aid, flame resistant, cleanroom, and healthcare. It serves food service, food processing, automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, and cleanroom industries. Vestis Corporation was founded in 1936 and is based in Roswell, Georgia.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and distributes various products for the lawn and garden, and pet supplies markets in the United States. It operates through two segments, Pet and Garden. The Pet segment provides dog and cat supplies, such as dog treats and chews, toys, pet beds and grooming products, waste management and training pads, and pet containment; supplies for aquatics, small animals, reptiles, and pet birds, including toys, cages and habitats, bedding, and food and supplements; animal and household health and insect control products; live fish and products for fish, reptiles, and other aquarium-based pets, such as aquariums, furniture and lighting fixtures, pumps, filters, water conditioners, food, and supplements; and products for equine and livestock, as well as outdoor cushions. This segment sells its products under the Aqueon, Cadet, Comfort Zone, Farnam, Four Paws, Kaytee, K&H Pet Products, Nylabone, and Zilla brands. The Garden segment offers lawn and garden supplies products that include grass seed; vegetable; flower and herb packet seed; wild bird feed, bird feeders, bird houses, and other birding accessories; fertilizers; decorative outdoor lifestyle products; live plants; and weed and grass, as well as other herbicides, insecticide, and pesticide products. This segment sells its lawn and garden supplies products under the AMDRO, Ferry-Morse, IMAGE, and Sevin brands, as well as under Bell Nursery, Lilly Miller, and Over-N-Out other brand names. Central Garden & Pet Company was founded in 1955 and is based in Walnut Creek, California.