Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) Hits New 12-Month Low - Here's Why

Key Points

• Flowers Foods, Inc. shares hit a new 12-month low of $13.05 during trading, with an average price target of $15.33 from analysts.
• The company reported earnings of $0.30 per share, slightly beating expectations, but its revenue of $1.24 billion fell short of the forecasted $1.27 billion.
• A recent quarterly dividend of $0.2475 per share was announced, yielding 7.5% annually, with a high payout ratio of 95.19%.

Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $13.05 and last traded at $13.10, with a volume of 293922 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.10.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $15.00 price target on shares of Flowers Foods in a report on Monday, August 18th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Flowers Foods from $20.00 to $15.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $15.33.

Flowers Foods Trading Up 0.5%

The firm's 50 day moving average is $15.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.67. The company has a market cap of $2.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.64 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 15th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.01. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 4.30% and a return on equity of 17.85%. The business had revenue of $1.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.36 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Flowers Foods has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.000-1.10 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Flowers Foods, Inc. will post 1.18 EPS for the current year.

Flowers Foods Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 19th. Investors of record on Friday, September 5th were given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 5th. Flowers Foods's payout ratio is 95.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Cindy Cox sold 3,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total value of $54,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 16,994 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $254,910. This represents a 17.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 11.57% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Flowers Foods

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in Flowers Foods by 617.3% in the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,700 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,463 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Flowers Foods in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in shares of Flowers Foods by 103.8% in the 2nd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,932 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 984 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Flowers Foods by 860.2% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,978 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,772 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Flowers Foods by 2,191.6% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,177 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 2,082 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.45% of the company's stock.

About Flowers Foods

Flowers Foods, Inc produces and markets packaged bakery food products in the United States. Its principal products include fresh breads, buns, rolls, snack items, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas, as well as frozen breads and rolls under the Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, Mrs.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.