Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ) Stock Rating Lowered by DA Davidson

Key Points

• DA Davidson downgraded Utz Brands from “strong-buy” to “hold,” aligning with a broader wave of softer analyst sentiment on the stock.
• The shares are being driven mainly by Utz Brands’ agreed takeover by Intersnack Group, which values the company at $14.25 per share in cash and implies a roughly 91% premium.
• Despite the downgrade, Utz Brands recently beat quarterly EPS expectations and reported revenue growth, while analysts’ consensus rating remains “Hold” with a target price of $13.27.

Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at DA Davidson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about 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 note on Tuesday. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Utz Brands in a research report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $10.00 target price on the stock. Stephens set a $14.25 target price on Utz Brands in a research note on Tuesday. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Utz Brands from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Utz Brands from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Utz Brands has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $13.27.

Utz Brands Stock Performance

UTZ opened at $14.06 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a P/E ratio of -140.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $7.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $8.40. Utz Brands has a 52-week low of $6.78 and a 52-week high of $14.67.

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

Institutional Trading of Utz Brands

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UTZ. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Utz Brands in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Utz Brands by 431.5% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 3,343 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 2,714 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Utz Brands by 118.5% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,356 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 2,362 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 363.5% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 6,086 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 4,773 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 76.1% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. 95.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Utz Brands News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Utz Brands agreed to be acquired by Intersnack Group for $14.25 per share in cash, sending the stock sharply higher on the takeover premium. Utz Brands to be taken private by Germany’s Intersnack Group
• Positive Sentiment: The deal price implies a roughly 91% premium, which is driving heavy trading and optimism that shareholders will receive a sizable cash payout if the transaction closes. Utz Brands to Be Taken Private in $2.9 Billion Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Several market reports highlighted that packaged-food peers also benefited from the buyout news, reinforcing the view that the transaction confirms strategic value in the snack category. Packaged food stocks perk up after Utz Brands buyout
• Neutral Sentiment: Law firms have launched investigations into whether the sale process and price were fair to public shareholders, which is common in take-private deals but could create headline risk. Shareholder Alert: The M&A Class Action Firm Announces An Investigation of Utz Brands, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades from Barclays and Stephens to “equal weight” suggest limited upside from here given the deal price is near the expected value. Utz Brands was downgraded by Barclays PLC

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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