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Side-by-side financial comparison of CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO (CENT) and RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($617.4M vs $340.0M, roughly 1.8× RLJ Lodging Trust). CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO runs the higher net margin — 1.1% vs -1.9%, a 3.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, RLJ Lodging Trust posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.6% vs -6.0%). Over the past eight quarters, RLJ Lodging Trust's revenue compounded faster (-4.1% CAGR vs -17.2%).

Central Garden & Pet Co is a leading U.S.-headquartered supplier of pet supplies and garden products. Its portfolio includes pet food, treats, grooming tools, lawn care items, gardening accessories and pest control solutions, serving retail partners like mass merchants, independent pet stores and garden centers across North America with multiple well-known consumer brands in its two core segments.

The RLJ Companies is an American asset management firm owned by entrepreneur Robert Louis Johnson. After selling Black Entertainment Television in 2001, Johnson's first company, he created RLJ Companies in Bethesda, Maryland. The company's network includes hotel real estate investment, private equity, financial services, asset management, insurance services, car dealerships, sports and entertainment, and video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming. The company is headquartered in Bethesda and has add...

CENT vs RLJ — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CENT
CENT
1.8× larger
CENT
$617.4M
$340.0M
RLJ
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
RLJ
RLJ
+9.6% gap
RLJ
3.6%
-6.0%
CENT
Higher net margin
CENT
CENT
3.0% more per $
CENT
1.1%
-1.9%
RLJ
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
RLJ
RLJ
Annualised
RLJ
-4.1%
-17.2%
CENT

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Revenue
$617.4M
$340.0M
Net Profit
$6.8M
$-6.4M
Gross Margin
30.9%
Operating Margin
2.7%
8.2%
Net Margin
1.1%
-1.9%
Revenue YoY
-6.0%
3.6%
Net Profit YoY
-51.2%
EPS (diluted)
$0.11

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$340.0M
Q4 25
$617.4M
$328.6M
Q3 25
$678.2M
$330.0M
Q2 25
$960.9M
$363.1M
Q1 25
$833.5M
$328.1M
Q4 24
$656.4M
$330.0M
Q3 24
$669.5M
$345.7M
Q2 24
$996.3M
$369.3M
Net Profit
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$-6.4M
Q4 25
$6.8M
$430.0K
Q3 25
$-9.8M
$-3.7M
Q2 25
$95.0M
$28.5M
Q1 25
$63.6M
$3.4M
Q4 24
$14.0M
$5.4M
Q3 24
$-34.2M
$20.6M
Q2 24
$79.7M
$37.1M
Gross Margin
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
30.9%
Q3 25
29.0%
Q2 25
34.6%
Q1 25
32.8%
Q4 24
29.8%
Q3 24
25.2%
Q2 24
31.8%
Operating Margin
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
8.2%
Q4 25
2.7%
0.2%
Q3 25
-0.9%
-1.0%
Q2 25
14.1%
8.0%
Q1 25
11.2%
1.1%
Q4 24
4.3%
1.8%
Q3 24
-4.8%
6.1%
Q2 24
11.6%
10.2%
Net Margin
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
-1.9%
Q4 25
1.1%
0.1%
Q3 25
-1.4%
-1.1%
Q2 25
9.9%
7.8%
Q1 25
7.6%
1.0%
Q4 24
2.1%
1.6%
Q3 24
-5.1%
6.0%
Q2 24
8.0%
10.0%
EPS (diluted)
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$0.11
$-0.05
Q3 25
$-0.16
$-0.07
Q2 25
$1.52
$0.15
Q1 25
$0.98
$-0.02
Q4 24
$0.21
$-0.01
Q3 24
$-0.51
$0.09
Q2 24
$1.19
$0.20

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$721.1M
$353.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.2B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.6B
$2.1B
Total Assets
$3.6B
$4.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.76×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$353.1M
Q4 25
$721.1M
$410.2M
Q3 25
$882.5M
$374.8M
Q2 25
$713.0M
$373.9M
Q1 25
$516.7M
$347.5M
Q4 24
$618.0M
$409.8M
Q3 24
$753.5M
$385.4M
Q2 24
$570.4M
$371.1M
Total Debt
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.2B
$2.2B
Q3 25
$1.2B
$2.2B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$2.2B
Q4 24
$1.2B
$2.2B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$2.2B
Q2 24
$1.2B
$2.2B
Stockholders' Equity
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$2.1B
Q4 25
$1.6B
$2.2B
Q3 25
$1.6B
$2.2B
Q2 25
$1.6B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$1.5B
$2.2B
Q4 24
$1.5B
$2.3B
Q3 24
$1.6B
$2.3B
Q2 24
$1.6B
$2.3B
Total Assets
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$4.7B
Q4 25
$3.6B
$4.7B
Q3 25
$3.6B
$4.8B
Q2 25
$3.7B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$3.6B
$4.8B
Q4 24
$3.5B
$4.9B
Q3 24
$3.6B
$4.9B
Q2 24
$3.6B
$4.9B
Debt / Equity
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.76×
1.01×
Q3 25
0.75×
1.01×
Q2 25
0.75×
1.00×
Q1 25
0.77×
0.99×
Q4 24
0.78×
0.97×
Q3 24
0.76×
0.96×
Q2 24
0.75×
0.95×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-70.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-81.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-13.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-10.26×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$285.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-70.2M
$243.8M
Q3 25
$182.7M
$63.3M
Q2 25
$265.5M
$101.3M
Q1 25
$-46.9M
$16.3M
Q4 24
$-68.8M
$285.4M
Q3 24
$203.1M
$80.1M
Q2 24
$286.1M
$113.5M
Free Cash Flow
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-81.0M
$117.4M
Q3 25
$171.9M
$33.6M
Q2 25
$251.7M
$66.1M
Q1 25
$-57.5M
$-30.5M
Q4 24
$-74.9M
$148.9M
Q3 24
$193.0M
$45.4M
Q2 24
$272.5M
$74.9M
FCF Margin
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
-13.1%
35.7%
Q3 25
25.3%
10.2%
Q2 25
26.2%
18.2%
Q1 25
-6.9%
-9.3%
Q4 24
-11.4%
45.1%
Q3 24
28.8%
13.1%
Q2 24
27.3%
20.3%
Capex Intensity
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.8%
38.5%
Q3 25
1.6%
9.0%
Q2 25
1.4%
9.7%
Q1 25
1.3%
14.3%
Q4 24
0.9%
41.4%
Q3 24
1.5%
10.0%
Q2 24
1.4%
10.4%
Cash Conversion
CENT
CENT
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
-10.26×
566.97×
Q3 25
Q2 25
2.79×
3.56×
Q1 25
-0.74×
4.85×
Q4 24
-4.91×
53.09×
Q3 24
3.89×
Q2 24
3.59×
3.06×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CENT
CENT

Garden Products Segment$201.6M33%
Dogand Cat Products$157.0M25%
Other Pet Products$117.8M19%
Manufactured Product Other$102.5M17%
Wild Bird Products$38.5M6%

RLJ
RLJ

Room revenue$275.3M81%
Food and beverage revenue$39.7M12%
Other revenue$25.0M7%

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