Which has the lower trailing P/E, CENT or MZTI?

MZTI has the lower trailing P/E: CENT trades at 14.93 and MZTI at 14.36. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CENT or MZTI?

Over the past five years, MZTI grew revenue faster — CENT at a -0.98% CAGR versus MZTI at 5.64%.

Does CENT or MZTI pay a bigger dividend?

MZTI pays a dividend (4.02% yield), while CENT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Is CENT or MZTI more profitable?

MZTI runs the higher net margin — CENT at 5.39% versus MZTI at 9.93%.

How have CENT and MZTI total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CENT delivered 6.70% and MZTI delivered -0.87% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Central Garden & Pet Company (CENT) vs The Marzetti Company (MZTI)

A side-by-side comparison of Central Garden & Pet Company and The Marzetti Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 6, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CENT

Central Garden & Pet Company

$2.50B

$40.02Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

MZTI

The Marzetti Company

$2.75B

$100.20Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CENT vs MZTI

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CENT +96.2% (+7.0%/yr)MZTI -9.8% (-1.0%/yr)CENT compounded faster over this window

CENT MZTI

CENT vs MZTI: by the numbers

•MZTI is the larger company ($2.75B vs $2.50B market cap).
•MZTI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (14.36 vs 14.93 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•MZTI converts more revenue to profit (9.93% vs 5.39% net margin).
•MZTI grew revenue faster over the past five years (5.64% vs -0.98% CAGR).
•MZTI pays a dividend (4.02% yield), while CENT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CENT	MZTI
P/E ratio	14.93	14.36
Forward P/E	12.82	14.88
PEG ratio	4.98	2.30
P/S ratio	0.81	1.42
P/B ratio	1.43	2.75
EV / EBITDA	7.77	8.52
FCF yield	13.80%	7.50%

Profitability

Metric	CENT	MZTI
Gross margin	32.54%	24.73%
Operating margin	8.11%	12.37%
Net margin	5.39%	9.93%
ROE	9.53%	19.19%
ROIC	5.88%	17.37%

Dividends

Metric	CENT	MZTI
Dividend yield	N/A	4.02%
Payout ratio	N/A	57.31%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CENT	MZTI
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	-0.98%	5.64%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	2.96%	6.19%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	4.25%	19.02%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	0.96%	-8.45%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CENT or MZTI?: MZTI has the lower trailing P/E: CENT trades at 14.93 and MZTI at 14.36. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CENT or MZTI?: Over the past five years, MZTI grew revenue faster — CENT at a -0.98% CAGR versus MZTI at 5.64%.
Does CENT or MZTI pay a bigger dividend?: MZTI pays a dividend (4.02% yield), while CENT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.
Is CENT or MZTI more profitable?: MZTI runs the higher net margin — CENT at 5.39% versus MZTI at 9.93%.
How have CENT and MZTI total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CENT delivered 6.70% and MZTI delivered -0.87% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CENT analysis Full MZTI analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Central Garden & Pet P/E ratio Marzetti P/E ratio Marzetti dividend yield Central Garden & Pet ROE Marzetti ROE Central Garden & Pet operating margin Marzetti operating margin Central Garden & Pet revenue growth Marzetti revenue growth Central Garden & Pet free cash flow Marzetti free cash flow

Central Garden & Pet & Marzetti appear in these rankings

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Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 6, 2026.