Jefferies Financial Group Upgrades Danone (OTCMKTS:DANOY) to "Hold"

Key Points

• Jefferies upgraded Danone from “moderate sell” to “hold,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” supported by ratings from Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank.
• Danone’s third-quarter sales increased 4.0% on a like-for-like basis to €7.23 billion, with broad-based growth across regions and Specialized Nutrition leading category performance.
• The company reaffirmed its 2026 sales-growth target of 3%–5% and plans to repurchase approximately 3.5 million shares, though reliance on pricing and weakness in China’s Mizone business remain risks.

Danone (OTCMKTS:DANOY - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from a "moderate sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Zacks reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Danone in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Danone from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Danone currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Danone Stock Up 2.3%

DANOY opened at $14.44 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.97. Danone has a 1 year low of $12.83 and a 1 year high of $18.63. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $14.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.45.

More Danone News

Here are the key news stories impacting Danone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Danone’s third-quarter sales rose 4.0% on a like-for-like basis to €7.23 billion, exceeding expectations. Growth was broad-based, with the Americas up 4.4%, EMEA up 3.9% and APAC up 3.6%. Danone Q3 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Specialized Nutrition led category growth at 4.7%, while Essential Dairy and Plant-Based products and Waters each grew 3.6%. Management said its health-focused portfolio and multi-category strategy continue to support resilient demand. Danone sales growth report
• Positive Sentiment: Danone confirmed its 2026 targets for like-for-like sales growth of 3% to 5%, with recurring operating income expected to grow faster than sales. It also plans to repurchase approximately 3.5 million shares, which could support earnings per share and signal confidence in the company’s valuation. Danone outlook and buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: North America delivered 2.4% like-for-like growth, suggesting that corrective actions in Danone’s U.S. dairy business are beginning to work. Investors will likely look for further improvement in volumes and market share. Danone North America turnaround
• Negative Sentiment: Growth was driven primarily by pricing, which contributed 3.6 percentage points, while volume and mix contributed only 0.4 points. This raises concerns about consumer resistance, future volume growth and margin pressure if inflationary costs persist.
• Negative Sentiment: China’s Mizone water business remained weak because of a poor season, weighing on the APAC Waters business and limiting the upside from Danone’s otherwise broad-based performance. Danone Q3 pricing and Mizone report

Danone Company Profile

Danone is a France-based multinational food and beverage company that develops and markets products in three principal categories: essential dairy and plant-based products, waters, and specialized nutrition. Its portfolio includes fermented dairy products, plant-based foods and beverages, bottled water, infant nutrition, and medical nutrition products.

The company's brands include Activia, Actimel, Alpro, evian, Volvic, Aptamil, Nutricia, and Fortimel, among others. Danone sells its products through retail, foodservice, healthcare, and specialized nutrition channels, serving consumers and patients in markets across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and other regions.

Danone traces its origins to 1919, when Isaac Carasso began producing yogurt in Barcelona, Spain.

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