Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFD) Receives Consensus Rating of "Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Smithfield Foods, Inc. has received an average consensus rating of "Buy" from nine research firms, with a target price of $28.14.
• Recently, hedge funds have been increasing their stakes in Smithfield Foods, indicating growing institutional interest.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, reflecting a yield of 4.1% and a payout ratio of 44.05%.

Shares of Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFD - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Buy" from the nine research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $28.1429.

SFD has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Smithfield Foods in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 price target on Smithfield Foods and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smithfield Foods

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Smithfield Foods during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Amalgamated Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Smithfield Foods during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. CWM LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Smithfield Foods during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Smithfield Foods during the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Smithfield Foods during the 2nd quarter worth about $55,000.

Smithfield Foods Stock Performance

SFD opened at $24.52 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.64 billion and a PE ratio of 10.80. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $23.93. Smithfield Foods has a one year low of $18.43 and a one year high of $25.85.

Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 12th. The company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.01). The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Smithfield Foods Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 14th. Smithfield Foods's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.05%.

Smithfield Foods Company Profile

Smithfield Foods, Inc produces and markets a variety of fresh meat and packaged meats products both domestically and internationally. The Company operates in four segments: Pork, Hog Production, International and Corporate, each of which consists of a number of subsidiaries, joint ventures and other investments.

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