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Associated British Foods (ABF) Competitors

Associated British Foods logo
GBX 1,957 +30.50 (+1.58%)
As of 07/3/2026 11:50 AM Eastern

ABF vs. CWK, TATE, PFD, GNC, and BAKK

Should you buy Associated British Foods stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares Associated British Foods with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with Associated British Foods include Cranswick (CWK), Tate & Lyle (TATE), Premier Foods (PFD), Greencore Group (GNC), and Bakkavor Group (BAKK). These companies are all part of the "packaged foods" industry.

How does Associated British Foods compare to Cranswick?

Cranswick (LON:CWK) and Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, media sentiment, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Cranswick pays an annual dividend of GBX 103 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. Associated British Foods pays an annual dividend of GBX 63 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Cranswick pays out 35.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Associated British Foods pays out 47.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

71.2% of Cranswick shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 27.3% of Associated British Foods shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.5% of Cranswick shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.5% of Associated British Foods shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Cranswick has a net margin of 5.31% compared to Associated British Foods' net margin of 4.89%. Cranswick's return on equity of 14.99% beat Associated British Foods' return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Cranswick5.31% 14.99% 8.26%
Associated British Foods 4.89%8.44%5.51%

Cranswick currently has a consensus price target of GBX 4,706.40, suggesting a potential downside of 16.40%. Associated British Foods has a consensus price target of GBX 3,487.14, suggesting a potential upside of 78.19%. Given Associated British Foods' higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Associated British Foods is more favorable than Cranswick.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Cranswick
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.80
Associated British Foods
3 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.57

Cranswick has a beta of 0.554, meaning that its share price is 45% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Associated British Foods has a beta of 0.808, meaning that its share price is 19% less volatile than the broader market.

Associated British Foods has higher revenue and earnings than Cranswick. Associated British Foods is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cranswick, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Cranswick£2.98B1.01£113.74M£290.2019.40
Associated British Foods£19.42B0.71£1.41B£133.2714.68

In the previous week, Associated British Foods had 13 more articles in the media than Cranswick. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Associated British Foods and 2 mentions for Cranswick. Cranswick's average media sentiment score of 0.73 beat Associated British Foods' score of -0.26 indicating that Cranswick is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Cranswick
1 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Associated British Foods
0 Very Positive mention(s)
3 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Summary

Cranswick beats Associated British Foods on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Associated British Foods compare to Tate & Lyle?

Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) and Tate & Lyle (LON:TATE) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their media sentiment, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, risk, valuation and profitability.

Associated British Foods has higher revenue and earnings than Tate & Lyle. Associated British Foods is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Tate & Lyle, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Associated British Foods£19.42B0.71£1.41B£133.2714.68
Tate & Lyle£2.01B1.23£206.63M£21.7025.76

In the previous week, Associated British Foods had 15 more articles in the media than Tate & Lyle. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Associated British Foods and 0 mentions for Tate & Lyle. Tate & Lyle's average media sentiment score of 0.55 beat Associated British Foods' score of -0.26 indicating that Tate & Lyle is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Associated British Foods Neutral
Tate & Lyle Positive

Associated British Foods pays an annual dividend of GBX 63 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Tate & Lyle pays an annual dividend of GBX 20 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Associated British Foods pays out 47.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Tate & Lyle pays out 92.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

27.3% of Associated British Foods shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.5% of Tate & Lyle shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of Associated British Foods shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.7% of Tate & Lyle shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Associated British Foods has a net margin of 4.89% compared to Tate & Lyle's net margin of 4.84%. Associated British Foods' return on equity of 8.44% beat Tate & Lyle's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Associated British Foods4.89% 8.44% 5.51%
Tate & Lyle 4.84%6.17%6.03%

Associated British Foods presently has a consensus price target of GBX 3,487.14, suggesting a potential upside of 78.19%. Tate & Lyle has a consensus price target of GBX 516, suggesting a potential downside of 7.69%. Given Associated British Foods' higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Associated British Foods is more favorable than Tate & Lyle.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Associated British Foods
3 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.57
Tate & Lyle
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.25

Associated British Foods has a beta of 0.808, suggesting that its share price is 19% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Tate & Lyle has a beta of 0.352, suggesting that its share price is 65% less volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Associated British Foods and Tate & Lyle tied by winning 9 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Associated British Foods compare to Premier Foods?

Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) and Premier Foods (LON:PFD) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, media sentiment, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Premier Foods has a net margin of 11.62% compared to Associated British Foods' net margin of 4.89%. Premier Foods' return on equity of 9.74% beat Associated British Foods' return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Associated British Foods4.89% 8.44% 5.51%
Premier Foods 11.62%9.74%4.78%

Associated British Foods has higher revenue and earnings than Premier Foods. Premier Foods is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Associated British Foods, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Associated British Foods£19.42B0.71£1.41B£133.2714.68
Premier Foods£1.18B1.50£112.38M£15.5013.20

Associated British Foods pays an annual dividend of GBX 63 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Premier Foods pays an annual dividend of GBX 2.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.4%. Associated British Foods pays out 47.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Premier Foods pays out 18.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

In the previous week, Associated British Foods had 13 more articles in the media than Premier Foods. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Associated British Foods and 2 mentions for Premier Foods. Premier Foods' average media sentiment score of 0.39 beat Associated British Foods' score of -0.26 indicating that Premier Foods is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Associated British Foods
0 Very Positive mention(s)
3 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Premier Foods
0 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Associated British Foods has a beta of 0.808, suggesting that its share price is 19% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Premier Foods has a beta of 0.604, suggesting that its share price is 40% less volatile than the broader market.

27.3% of Associated British Foods shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.0% of Premier Foods shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Associated British Foods shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.7% of Premier Foods shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Associated British Foods currently has a consensus target price of GBX 3,487.14, suggesting a potential upside of 78.19%. Premier Foods has a consensus target price of GBX 244, suggesting a potential upside of 19.26%. Given Associated British Foods' higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Associated British Foods is more favorable than Premier Foods.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Associated British Foods
3 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.57
Premier Foods
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.80

Summary

Associated British Foods and Premier Foods tied by winning 9 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Associated British Foods compare to Greencore Group?

Greencore Group (LON:GNC) and Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, media sentiment, valuation, risk and analyst recommendations.

Greencore Group has a beta of 0.83, indicating that its share price is 17% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Associated British Foods has a beta of 0.808, indicating that its share price is 19% less volatile than the broader market.

Associated British Foods has higher revenue and earnings than Greencore Group. Associated British Foods is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Greencore Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Greencore Group£2.34B0.69£48.48M£2.8072.36
Associated British Foods£19.42B0.71£1.41B£133.2714.68

Greencore Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 2.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Associated British Foods pays an annual dividend of GBX 63 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Greencore Group pays out 92.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Associated British Foods pays out 47.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Associated British Foods is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

31.4% of Greencore Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 27.3% of Associated British Foods shares are held by institutional investors. 1.1% of Greencore Group shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.5% of Associated British Foods shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

In the previous week, Associated British Foods had 15 more articles in the media than Greencore Group. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Associated British Foods and 0 mentions for Greencore Group. Greencore Group's average media sentiment score of 0.00 beat Associated British Foods' score of -0.26 indicating that Greencore Group is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Greencore Group Neutral
Associated British Foods Neutral

Greencore Group currently has a consensus price target of GBX 290.25, suggesting a potential upside of 43.26%. Associated British Foods has a consensus price target of GBX 3,487.14, suggesting a potential upside of 78.19%. Given Associated British Foods' higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Associated British Foods is more favorable than Greencore Group.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Greencore Group
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Hold rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.75
Associated British Foods
3 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.57

Associated British Foods has a net margin of 4.89% compared to Greencore Group's net margin of 0.30%. Associated British Foods' return on equity of 8.44% beat Greencore Group's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Greencore Group0.30% 0.73% 4.43%
Associated British Foods 4.89%8.44%5.51%

Summary

Associated British Foods beats Greencore Group on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Associated British Foods compare to Bakkavor Group?

Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) and Bakkavor Group (LON:BAKK) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, dividends, media sentiment, profitability, institutional ownership and valuation.

Associated British Foods has a beta of 0.808, suggesting that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Bakkavor Group has a beta of 0.63, suggesting that its stock price is 37% less volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, Associated British Foods had 15 more articles in the media than Bakkavor Group. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Associated British Foods and 0 mentions for Bakkavor Group. Bakkavor Group's average media sentiment score of 0.00 beat Associated British Foods' score of -0.26 indicating that Bakkavor Group is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Associated British Foods Neutral
Bakkavor Group Neutral

27.3% of Associated British Foods shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 13.4% of Bakkavor Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of Associated British Foods shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 48.9% of Bakkavor Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Associated British Foods has a net margin of 4.89% compared to Bakkavor Group's net margin of 1.66%. Associated British Foods' return on equity of 8.44% beat Bakkavor Group's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Associated British Foods4.89% 8.44% 5.51%
Bakkavor Group 1.66%6.14%4.54%

Associated British Foods pays an annual dividend of GBX 63 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Bakkavor Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 8 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Associated British Foods pays out 47.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Bakkavor Group pays out 127.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Associated British Foods is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Associated British Foods presently has a consensus price target of GBX 3,487.14, indicating a potential upside of 78.19%. Given Associated British Foods' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Associated British Foods is more favorable than Bakkavor Group.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Associated British Foods
3 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.57
Bakkavor Group
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0.00

Associated British Foods has higher revenue and earnings than Bakkavor Group. Associated British Foods is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Bakkavor Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Associated British Foods£19.42B0.71£1.41B£133.2714.68
Bakkavor Group£2.30B0.63£64.74M£6.3040.00

Summary

Associated British Foods beats Bakkavor Group on 14 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding ABF and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
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Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of LON and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
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ABF vs. The Competition

MetricAssociated British FoodsPackaged Foods IndustryDefensive SectorLON Exchange
Market Cap£13.70B£5.16B£8.55B£2.74B
Dividend Yield3.22%2.48%3.15%6.14%
P/E Ratio14.682,882.28891.59368.15
Price / Sales0.713,430.84992,149.0885,845.39
Price / Cash6.14119.32140.9227.87
Price / Book1.2922.519.777.75
Net Income£1.41B£2.71B£1.03B£5.89B
7 Day Performance-1.09%0.56%0.25%0.55%
1 Month Performance4.82%2.13%0.81%-0.34%
1 Year Performance-5.82%694.78%244.27%70.53%

Associated British Foods Competitors List

CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
ABF
Associated British Foods
3.7666 of 5 stars
GBX 1,957
+1.6%
GBX 3,487.14
+78.2%
-5.5%£13.70B£19.42B14.68133,000
CWK
Cranswick
3.1688 of 5 stars
GBX 5,630
-0.2%
GBX 4,706.40
-16.4%
+6.0%£3.01B£2.98B19.4052,000
TATE
Tate & Lyle
1.5685 of 5 stars
GBX 559
+0.5%
GBX 516
-7.7%
+1.5%£2.47B£2.01B25.763,604
PFD
Premier Foods
3.8924 of 5 stars
GBX 204.60
-1.0%
GBX 244
+19.3%
+3.0%£1.76B£1.18B13.204,000
GNC
Greencore Group
4.4118 of 5 stars
GBX 202.60
-1.1%
GBX 290.25
+43.3%
-13.0%£1.61B£2.34B72.3613,602

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This page (LON:ABF) was last updated on 7/5/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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