Central Garden & Pet

Despite its stock's recent performance, Central Garden & Pet (CENT Quote) is by no means a daisy-pusher.

The distributor of lawn and garden and pet supplies has seen its share price slide as low as 12 1/4 recently amid uncertainty about the future of its relationship with a key supplier and disappointing fiscal fourth-quarter earnings.

But if in spring a young person's thoughts turn to love, once he passes 50, he turns to puttering around in the garden out back. With demographic trends like that on its side, solid internal growth and a string of acquisitions, Central's stock looks like a bargain as the planting season approaches, analysts and investors say. ...