Utz Brands' (UTZ) Equal Weight Rating Reaffirmed at Stephens

Key Points

• Stephens reiterated its “equal weight” rating on Utz Brands, while other analysts remain mixed, with the stock carrying an average Moderate Buy rating and a consensus price target of $12.22.
• Utz Brands shares jumped sharply in Tuesday trading, rising to $14.12 on unusually heavy volume, far above both its recent averages and its 52-week low of $6.78.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations with $0.15 EPS and slightly stronger year-over-year revenue growth, and it guided for FY 2026 EPS of 0.771-0.795.

Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "equal weight" rating restated by research analysts at Stephens in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on UTZ. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $15.00 price objective on Utz Brands in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. DA Davidson raised Utz Brands to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on Utz Brands in a research note on Monday, April 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $10.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Utz Brands from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Utz Brands from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Utz Brands currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $12.22.

Utz Brands Stock Performance

Utz Brands stock traded up $6.67 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $14.12. 42,280,320 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,146,232. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -141.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.82. Utz Brands has a 12-month low of $6.78 and a 12-month high of $14.67. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $7.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.35.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Utz Brands

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Utz Brands by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,457 shares of the company's stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC raised its stake in Utz Brands by 0.8% during the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 140,831 shares of the company's stock worth $1,711,000 after purchasing an additional 1,075 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 109,921 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,380,000 after purchasing an additional 1,137 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 76.1% in 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 during the last quarter. Finally, First Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Utz Brands by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 17,986 shares of the company's stock valued at $187,000 after buying an additional 1,748 shares during the period. 95.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Utz Brands Company Profile

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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