B&G Foods Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:BGS)

Key Points

• B&G Foods shares rose 26.8% to $3.37, while call-option trading surged to 2,560 contracts—about 301% above typical volume.
• The company beat quarterly estimates, reporting EPS of $0.21 versus $0.15 expected and revenue of $459.8 million, up 4.7% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remained cautious: the consensus rating was Sell, with an average price target of $3.62. B&G Foods also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.095 per share, equivalent to an 11.3% yield at the reported share price.

B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE:BGS - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders acquired 2,560 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 301% compared to the typical volume of 639 call options.

B&G Foods Stock Up 26.8%

Shares of BGS stock traded up $0.71 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $3.37. 7,677,548 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,157,508. B&G Foods has a 52 week low of $1.99 and a 52 week high of $6.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.08. The business has a 50 day moving average of $2.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $4.02. The company has a market capitalization of $274.24 million, a PE ratio of -3.79 and a beta of 0.56.

B&G Foods (NYSE:BGS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 10th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $459.78 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $435.00 million. B&G Foods had a negative net margin of 4.00% and a positive return on equity of 10.74%. The firm's revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. Analysts anticipate that B&G Foods will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

B&G Foods Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 31st will be issued a $0.0950 dividend. This represents a $0.38 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 31st. B&G Foods's payout ratio is -42.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on BGS shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $4.00 price target on B&G Foods in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays cut their target price on shares of B&G Foods from $4.50 to $3.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of B&G Foods from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (e+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of B&G Foods from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Evercore set a $4.50 price target on shares of B&G Foods in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Sell" and an average target price of $3.62.

Recent B&G Foods Headlines

Here are a few of the latest headlines about BGS:

• Positive Sentiment: B&G Foods reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.21, above the $0.15 consensus, and revenue of $459.8 million, up 4.7% year over year and ahead of expectations of $435 million. B&G Foods Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 outlook, projecting EPS of $0.575–$0.675 versus the $0.57 consensus and revenue of $1.76 billion–$1.80 billion, above the roughly $1.7 billion consensus. B&G Foods targets lower leverage and raises 2026 sales view
• Neutral Sentiment: B&G Foods aims to reduce leverage to below 6x by mid-2027. Progress toward that goal could ease balance-sheet concerns, but the target underscores that debt remains an important consideration for investors. B&G Foods leverage and sales outlook

Hedge Funds Weigh In On B&G Foods

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of B&G Foods by 0.4% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,787,165 shares of the company's stock worth $7,280,000 after purchasing an additional 7,421 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its position in B&G Foods by 58.6% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 629,032 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,026,000 after purchasing an additional 232,351 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in B&G Foods by 395.1% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 420,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,024,000 after purchasing an additional 335,800 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP increased its stake in B&G Foods by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 479,620 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,909,000 after buying an additional 109,416 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in B&G Foods by 16.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 407,582 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,622,000 after buying an additional 57,620 shares during the last quarter. 66.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

B&G Foods Company Profile

B&G Foods, Inc. is a branded food company headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company manufactures, sells and distributes a portfolio of shelf-stable, frozen and specialty food products through grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, foodservice distributors and e-commerce channels. Its products include vegetables, beans, pickles, condiments, sauces, spices, seasonings, baking products, hot cereals, snacks and frozen foods. B&G Foods' brand portfolio has included Ortega Mexican foods, Cream of Wheat, Mrs. Dash, Maple Grove Farms, Polaner, Cary's, Las Palmas, Underwood and B&G pickles, among other consumer food brands.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.