Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Utz Brands agreed to be acquired by Intersnack in an all-cash deal at $14.25 per share, which implies a large premium and has been the main driver behind the stock’s recent move.
• The buyout announcement gives shareholders a clear valuation and reduces near-term uncertainty, though several law firms have launched fairness investigations into the transaction process and price.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed but mostly cautious: the stock carries a Hold consensus rating, with analysts like Barclays and Jefferies trimming ratings while the deal price appears to cap further upside.

Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE:UTZ - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 2,308,178 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 0% from the previous session's volume of 2,301,956 shares.The stock last traded at $14.0950 and had previously closed at $14.06.

More Utz Brands News

Here are the key news stories impacting Utz Brands this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Utz agreed to be acquired by Intersnack in an all-cash deal at $14.25 per share, implying a 91% premium and lifting the stock sharply. Utz Brands to Be Taken Private in $2.9 Billion Deal
• Positive Sentiment: The announced acquisition provides a clear takeover valuation and removes near-term uncertainty, which is typically supportive for the share price. Utz Brands to go private in $2.9 billion acquisition by Intersnack Group (UTZ)
• Neutral Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into whether the transaction price and process were fair to public shareholders; these headlines can create noise, but they do not change the deal terms on their own. UTZ Investigation Alert: BFA Law Announces an Investigation into the Utz Brands $14.25 Announced Acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst downgrades from Barclays and Stephens to “equal weight” may temper enthusiasm, but they are secondary to the buyout news. Downgrade coverage
• Negative Sentiment: One commentary piece argued the investment thesis has played out and suggested exiting the stock, which could reflect a view that upside is now largely capped near the deal price. Utz Brands: The Buy Thesis Has Played Out - It's Time To Exit

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on UTZ. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Utz Brands in a research note on Wednesday. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Utz Brands in a report on Monday, April 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $10.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Utz Brands from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $14.25 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays cut shares of Utz Brands from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $14.00 target price for the company. in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Utz Brands in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $12.70.

Utz Brands Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The firm has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -140.84, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $7.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.38.

Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $361.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $361.76 million. Utz Brands had a positive return on equity of 8.61% and a negative net margin of 0.58%.The business's revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.16 EPS. Utz Brands has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.771-0.795 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Utz Brands, Inc. will post 0.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Utz Brands Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 22nd were issued a $0.063 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 22nd. Utz Brands's dividend payout ratio is presently -250.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Utz Brands

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Utz Brands in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its stake in Utz Brands by 431.5% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 3,343 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 2,714 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its stake in Utz Brands by 76.1% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,756 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,623 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 118.5% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,356 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 2,362 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 363.5% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 6,086 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 4,773 shares during the last quarter. 95.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Utz Brands

Utz Brands, Inc is a leading U.S. manufacturer and distributor of salty snack foods, offering a wide range of products including potato chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, popcorn and tortilla chips. Headquartered in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the company markets its snacks under several well-known brands and serves grocery, mass merchandise, club, convenience and online retailers throughout the United States.

Founded in 1921 by Bill and Salie Utz as a small country store operation, the business expanded gradually through direct delivery to local customers and sales to regional grocers.

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