Zacks Research Lowers Earnings Estimates for Conagra Brands

Key Points

• Zacks Research trimmed its FY2026 EPS forecast to $1.70 (from $1.72), cut FY2026–FY2028 estimates across several quarters and left a "Hold" rating, signaling weaker near‑term earnings visibility.
• Conagra declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 (annualized $1.40), implying a ~9.9% yield, while the stock trades near its 12‑month low and two company directors recently purchased shares, indicating insider confidence despite pressure on fundamentals.
• Several analysts have lowered price targets and MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Reduce" with an average target of ~$16.07; the company also narrowly missed the most recent quarter's EPS ($0.39 vs. $0.40) even as revenue slightly beat expectations.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG - Free Report) - Zacks Research dropped their FY2026 earnings estimates for Conagra Brands in a report released on Wednesday, April 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.70 for the year, down from their prior estimate of $1.72. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Conagra Brands' current full-year earnings is $2.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Conagra Brands' Q4 2026 earnings at $0.47 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.49 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.40 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.45 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.44 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $0.42 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.82 EPS.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 1st. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.76 billion. Conagra Brands had a positive return on equity of 10.15% and a negative net margin of 0.39%.The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.51 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on CAG. Evercore decreased their price target on shares of Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $18.00 in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Conagra Brands from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Conagra Brands from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $17.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Conagra Brands from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $16.07.

Conagra Brands Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE CAG opened at $14.09 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.52. The stock has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -140.84 and a beta of 0.04. Conagra Brands has a 12-month low of $14.04 and a 12-month high of $25.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 2.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,202,392 shares of the company's stock valued at $536,363,000 after purchasing an additional 588,435 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 17,667,780 shares of the company's stock valued at $305,829,000 after purchasing an additional 2,079,903 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 20.1% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 17,622,165 shares of the company's stock valued at $305,044,000 after purchasing an additional 2,948,081 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 18.5% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 15,229,557 shares of the company's stock valued at $263,624,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,823 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 19.6% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,130,671 shares of the company's stock valued at $222,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,984,873 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.75% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Richard H. Lenny acquired 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $14.34 per share, with a total value of $358,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 229,340 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,288,735.60. This represents a 12.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director John J. Mulligan acquired 17,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $14.31 per share, with a total value of $250,425.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 20,728 shares of the company's stock, valued at $296,617.68. This represents a 542.13% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Conagra Brands Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.9%. Conagra Brands's payout ratio is presently -1,400.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Conagra Brands

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

• Positive Sentiment: Two company directors bought stock on April 14 — Director Richard H. Lenny purchased 25,000 shares at about $14.34 and Director John J. Mulligan bought 17,500 shares at about $14.31 — signaling insider confidence in the business at current prices. Lenny SEC filing Mulligan SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Conagra announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 ($1.40 annualized, ~9.9% yield) with an ex‑dividend/record cadence that could attract yield‑seeking investors—a supportive cash-return signal despite underlying earnings pressure. MarketBeat CAG summary
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG initiated coverage with a neutral (market‑perform) recommendation — adds a new institutional view but not a directional endorsement. BTIG coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary pieces evaluating Conagra’s valuation ahead of CEO John Brase’s takeover are drawing attention to strategic/leadership risk and potential upside if cost or portfolio moves succeed — informational but not immediate catalysts. Valuation / CEO change article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut multiple quarterly and full‑year EPS forecasts (across Q4’26–FY’28 and interim quarters), trimming FY2026–FY2028 estimates (e.g., FY’28 to $1.82 from $1.90) and keeping a "Hold" stance — this reduces near‑term earnings visibility and is a clear negative for the stock’s fundamental outlook. Zacks estimate revisions

Conagra Brands Company Profile

Conagra Brands, Inc is a leading packaged foods company based in Chicago, Illinois, with a broad portfolio of shelf-stable, frozen and refrigerated foods marketed under familiar brands. The company develops, produces and distributes a wide range of consumer food products, serving both retail grocery and foodservice channels. Conagra's product lineup includes frozen entrees, snacks, condiments, baking goods and desserts, providing convenient meal solutions for consumers across North America and select international markets.

Among its well-known brands are Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Marie Callender's and Banquet in the frozen foods category, as well as Hunt's sauces, Orville Redenbacher's popcorn, Slim Jim meat snacks and Reddi-wip toppings.

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