Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) Stock Rating Lowered by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase downgraded Hormel Foods from "overweight" to "neutral" and set a $23 target price, implying roughly a 6.3% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst consensus is an overall Hold rating with an average price target of $27.00, based on 2 Buys, 6 Holds and 1 Sell.
• Hormel reported Q EPS of $0.34 (beating $0.32) but revenue of $3.03B missed expectations of $3.07B; FY2026 guidance is $1.430–1.510 EPS versus analysts' average forecast of $1.65.

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL - Get Free Report) was downgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report released on Thursday. They currently have a $23.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price points to a potential upside of 6.27% from the company's previous close.

Several other research firms also recently commented on HRL. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hormel Foods from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Hormel Foods in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded Hormel Foods from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Stephens upped their price target on Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $27.00.

Hormel Foods Stock Up 0.9%

HRL stock opened at $21.64 on Thursday. Hormel Foods has a 12-month low of $21.03 and a 12-month high of $31.86. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 2.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market cap of $11.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.32, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a 50 day moving average of $23.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.60.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hormel Foods

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Hormel Foods in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in shares of Hormel Foods during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hormel Foods in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hormel Foods in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Hormel Foods in the second quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.99% of the company's stock.

Hormel Foods Company Profile

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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