Hormel Foods Corporation $HRL Shares Purchased by Vest Financial LLC

Vest Financial LLC increased its position in Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) by 7.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,871,404 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 137,768 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC owned approximately 0.34% of Hormel Foods worth $46,299,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of Hormel Foods in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hormel Foods by 162.7% during the second quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 620 shares during the last quarter. Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new position in Hormel Foods in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Hormel Foods by 1,490.7% in the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,543 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,446 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Hormel Foods by 77.4% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,854 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the period. 40.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hormel Foods Trading Down 0.6%

HRL opened at $24.41 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Hormel Foods Corporation has a 52-week low of $21.03 and a 52-week high of $32.07. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $23.48 and its 200-day moving average is $25.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.33.

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $3.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.24 billion. Hormel Foods had a net margin of 3.95% and a return on equity of 9.41%. The company’s revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.42 EPS. Hormel Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.430-1.51 EPS. Analysts expect that Hormel Foods Corporation will post 1.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hormel Foods Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a $0.2925 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $1.17 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.8%. This is an increase from Hormel Foods’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Hormel Foods’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 134.48%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on HRL shares. Zacks Research upgraded Hormel Foods from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $26.00 target price (up from $25.00) on shares of Hormel Foods in a report on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Hormel Foods in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Hormel Foods from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hormel Foods presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.29.

Hormel Foods Profile

Hormel Foods Corporation is a global branded foods company primarily engaged in the production, marketing and distribution of value-added, high-quality meat and food products. The company’s portfolio spans a range of categories including refrigerated and frozen meats, pantry staples, specialty foods and shelf-stable items. Through manufacturing facilities located across North America and international markets, Hormel Foods supplies retail grocers, foodservice operators, convenience stores and e-commerce platforms.

Among its best-known brands, Hormel Foods produces SPAM® canned meats, Jennie-O® turkey products, Skippy® peanut butter and Applegate® natural and organic meats.