Zacks Research Reduces Earnings Estimates for General Mills

General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their FY2026 EPS estimates for General Mills in a report issued on Thursday, March 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $3.43 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $3.44. Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for General Mills’ current full-year earnings is $4.36 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for General Mills’ Q1 2027 earnings at $0.82 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.70 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.66 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $3.26 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.84 EPS and Q3 2028 earnings at $0.72 EPS.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 18th. The company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.73 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $4.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.53 billion. General Mills had a return on equity of 19.19% and a net margin of 12.05%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.12 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on GIS. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on shares of General Mills from $53.00 to $48.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of General Mills from $60.00 to $55.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of General Mills from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $45.00 to $35.00 in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of General Mills from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of General Mills from $45.00 to $37.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $44.61.

General Mills Price Performance

Shares of General Mills stock opened at $35.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.56 and a quick ratio of 0.36. General Mills has a one year low of $35.63 and a one year high of $62.61. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.79 and a beta of -0.05.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On General Mills

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GIS. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of General Mills by 20.7% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 624,079 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,334,000 after acquiring an additional 106,819 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in General Mills by 24.0% in the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,010 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after purchasing an additional 2,518 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in General Mills in the second quarter worth $1,814,000. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its position in General Mills by 37.6% during the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 29,576 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,532,000 after buying an additional 8,083 shares during the period. Finally, Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. lifted its position in General Mills by 8.3% during the second quarter. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. now owns 143,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,441,000 after buying an additional 11,039 shares during the period. 75.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

General Mills Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. General Mills’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.66%.

Key Stories Impacting General Mills

Here are the key news stories impacting General Mills this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New product momentum — General Mills is rolling out new seasonal/partnered cereal SKUs (Lucky Charms Unicorn Cotton Candy; Tropical Trix with Disney’s Moana), which can support category relevance, promotional lift and shelf activity this summer. Lucky Charms and Trix Bring Bold Flavors to the Breakfast Table Through New Cereals Made with Colors from Natural Sources
• Neutral Sentiment: High dividend yield draws attention — The stock’s ~6.5% yield is attractive to income investors, but articles note this yield exists alongside margin pressure and macro risks; that supports demand from yield-seekers but also signals elevated company risk. The General Mills Dividend Yields 6.53%. Is That Enough to Make Up for an Oil Price Shock?
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple analyst cuts from Zacks — Zacks Research sharply trimmed EPS forecasts across FY2026–FY2028 quarters (examples: Q1/Q3/Q4 2027 and Q1/Q3 2028) and carries a “Strong Sell” rating, lowering expectations for near‑term profitability. (Zacks Research notes and estimates)
• Negative Sentiment: Price-target cuts and lower forecasts from sell‑side — TD Cowen cut its price target to $32 (from $37), citing higher input costs tied to geopolitical risk (Iran war) and constrained pricing power; another outlet reports a ~15% price-target reduction to $42.84—both actions pressure sentiment and reduce upside among holders. General Mills price target lowered to $32 from $37 at TD Cowen General Mills (GIS) price target decreased by 15.29% to 42.84
• Negative Sentiment: Macroeconomic/geopolitical cost pressure — Coverage flags risks from a potential Strait of Hormuz shock (fertilizer and commodity trade disruptions) that could raise input costs across food producers and weigh on margins and pricing dynamics. Here Are 7 Ways the Strait of Hormuz Closure Is Affecting Consumer Staples Stocks

General Mills Company Profile

General Mills, Inc (NYSE: GIS) is a multinational consumer foods company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded food products. Its product categories include ready-to-eat and hot cereals, baking mixes and ingredients, snacks and bars, refrigerated and frozen doughs, yogurt and other dairy products, and a variety of shelf-stable meals and meal components. The company’s portfolio features widely recognized consumer brands across grocery store, mass channel and foodservice outlets.

Founded in the early 20th century and incorporated under its current name in 1928, General Mills has grown through both internal brand development and strategic expansion to become a global food company.