MGP Ingredients (NASDAQ:MGPI) Raised to "Hold" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded MGP Ingredients from a "strong sell" to a "hold"; the stock carries a consensus "Hold" rating with a $28.75 average price target (3 Buy, 2 Hold, 1 Sell from analysts).
• Q1 EPS beat — the company reported $0.15 EPS vs. $0.04 expected, but revenue fell 12.5% year-over-year to $106.43M and net margin remained negative at -19.82%; MGP set FY2026 guidance of 1.50–1.80 EPS (analysts forecast ~1.62).
• Shares opened at $19.16 (down ~5.2%), with a 12‑month range of $16.45–$34.99 and a market cap of ~$409M, and institutional ownership stands high at about 77%, with several large funds recently increasing positions.

MGP Ingredients (NASDAQ:MGPI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on MGP Ingredients from $29.00 to $24.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen cut MGP Ingredients from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, February 22nd. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on MGP Ingredients from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Benchmark initiated coverage on MGP Ingredients in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $35.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Roth Mkm decreased their price objective on MGP Ingredients from $41.00 to $32.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $28.75.

MGP Ingredients Trading Down 5.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:MGPI opened at $19.16 on Tuesday. MGP Ingredients has a 12-month low of $16.45 and a 12-month high of $34.99. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $19.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $22.78. The company has a market capitalization of $409.43 million, a PE ratio of -3.85 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a current ratio of 2.61, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

MGP Ingredients (NASDAQ:MGPI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.11. MGP Ingredients had a positive return on equity of 7.46% and a negative net margin of 19.82%.The business had revenue of $106.43 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $106.82 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.36 EPS. The business's revenue was down 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. MGP Ingredients has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.500-1.800 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that MGP Ingredients will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MGP Ingredients

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strs Ohio increased its stake in MGP Ingredients by 42.3% during the 1st quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 32,300 shares of the company's stock worth $594,000 after buying an additional 9,600 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in MGP Ingredients by 320.8% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 51,157 shares of the company's stock worth $1,242,000 after buying an additional 38,999 shares in the last quarter. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC grew its position in shares of MGP Ingredients by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC now owns 78,583 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,910,000 after purchasing an additional 5,258 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MGP Ingredients in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,278,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of MGP Ingredients by 349.9% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 128,752 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,129,000 after purchasing an additional 100,131 shares in the last quarter. 77.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MGP Ingredients

MGP Ingredients, Inc NASDAQ: MGPI is a leading producer of distilled spirits and specialty ingredient solutions for the food, beverage and consumer products industries. Headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, the company operates two main facilities—its historic Atchison plant, founded in 1941 as Midwest Grain Products, and a modern distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. MGP Ingredients supplies an array of distillation products under its beverage and ingredient segments, serving brand owners, private-label producers and co-packers worldwide.

The beverage segment features a broad portfolio of premium spirits, including bourbon and rye whiskies, vodka, gin and neutral spirits.

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