Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Hold" — Nine analysts give Hormel Foods an average "Hold" rating (1 sell, 5 holds, 3 buys) with a one‑year average target of $27.71 and recent price targets ranging about $26–$30.
• Mixed quarterly results and guidance — Last quarter EPS beat at $0.34 (vs. $0.32) while revenue slightly missed, and the company set FY2026 EPS guidance of $1.43–$1.51 versus analyst expectations of $1.65.
• Shares trading below analyst targets — HRL opened at $24.20 (12‑month range $21.03–$32.07), has a ~$13.3B market cap, and roughly 41% of the stock is held by hedge funds and other institutions.

Shares of Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the nine analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $27.7143.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on HRL. Piper Sandler restated a "neutral" rating and set a $26.00 price objective (up from $25.00) on shares of Hormel Foods in a report on Friday, December 5th. Bank of America raised their price target on Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Barclays set a $30.00 price target on Hormel Foods and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Hormel Foods in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on shares of Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in Hormel Foods during the first quarter worth about $310,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hormel Foods by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 57,500 shares of the company's stock worth $1,779,000 after purchasing an additional 993 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP increased its position in Hormel Foods by 40.8% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 24,583 shares of the company's stock worth $761,000 after purchasing an additional 7,129 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Hormel Foods by 1,490.7% during the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,543 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,446 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank raised its holdings in Hormel Foods by 1.4% in the second quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 57,147 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,729,000 after buying an additional 797 shares during the period. 40.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hormel Foods Price Performance

NYSE:HRL opened at $24.20 on Friday. Hormel Foods has a 12-month low of $21.03 and a 12-month high of $32.07. The firm has a market cap of $13.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.32. The company's 50-day moving average is $24.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.23. The company has a current ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. Hormel Foods had a net margin of 4.03% and a return on equity of 9.38%. The business had revenue of $3.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.35 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Hormel Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.430-1.510 EPS. Research analysts expect that Hormel Foods will post 1.65 EPS for the current year.

About Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods Corporation is a global branded foods company primarily engaged in the production, marketing and distribution of value-added, high-quality meat and food products. The company's portfolio spans a range of categories including refrigerated and frozen meats, pantry staples, specialty foods and shelf-stable items. Through manufacturing facilities located across North America and international markets, Hormel Foods supplies retail grocers, foodservice operators, convenience stores and e-commerce platforms.

Among its best-known brands, Hormel Foods produces SPAM® canned meats, Jennie-O® turkey products, Skippy® peanut butter and Applegate® natural and organic meats.

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