J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) Upgraded to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Saturday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on SJM. Bank of America upgraded J. M. Smucker from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on J. M. Smucker from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup restated a “hold” rating on shares of J. M. Smucker in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. UBS Group cut their target price on J. M. Smucker from $120.00 to $117.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on J. M. Smucker from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, J. M. Smucker currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $118.00.

J. M. Smucker Trading Up 0.0%

SJM opened at $116.06 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $104.10 and its 200-day moving average is $105.38. J. M. Smucker has a 52-week low of $93.30 and a 52-week high of $121.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.38 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.84, a P/E/G ratio of 7.09 and a beta of 0.23.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.11. J. M. Smucker had a negative net margin of 14.07% and a positive return on equity of 15.42%. The business had revenue of $2.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.32 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.61 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that J. M. Smucker will post 9.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J. M. Smucker Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. J. M. Smucker’s dividend payout ratio is -37.32%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in J. M. Smucker by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 991 shares of the company’s stock worth $97,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors grew its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 7.8% during the fourth quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors now owns 1,303 shares of the company’s stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its position in shares of J. M. Smucker by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 4,652 shares of the company’s stock worth $455,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Delta Asset Management LLC TN lifted its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Delta Asset Management LLC TN now owns 1,378 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New Mexico Educational Retirement Board lifted its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 4,922 shares of the company’s stock worth $481,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting J. M. Smucker

Here are the key news stories impacting J. M. Smucker this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Activist resolution — Elliott secured two board seats and Smucker agreed to add two independent directors; the development sparked a strong investor rally. Reuters: J.M. Smucker adds two directors after private discussions with activist Elliott
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings beat and revenue growth — Q3 adjusted EPS $2.38 vs. $2.27 est; revenue $2.34B, +7% YoY driven by pricing in the coffee business, which helped offset cost headwinds. This beat underpins near‑term confidence. Zacks: Smucker Q3 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Wells Fargo raised its target to $135 (Overweight) and Sanford C. Bernstein raised its target to $121 (Market Perform); JPMorgan also nudged its target higher. These raises provide additional buy‑side support. Benzinga: Analyst target updates TickerReport: Wells Fargo note
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials and call — The company posted its slide deck, earnings presentation and call transcript, which give more detail on margin drivers, capital allocation and guidance adjustments for investors doing deeper due diligence. Seeking Alpha: Q3 Results Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance headwinds and cost pressures — Management trimmed its sales‑growth outlook citing a recent manufacturing‑facility fire; higher green‑coffee costs and tariffs pressured year‑over‑year earnings despite the beat. These factors limit upside until guidance and cost trends stabilize. WSJ: Sales rise but guidance lowered after plant fire

About J. M. Smucker

The J. M. Smucker Company is a diversified food and beverage manufacturer and marketer known for a portfolio of well-established consumer brands. The company’s main business activities include the production and distribution of fruit spreads, peanut butter, coffee and coffee filters, as well as pet food and pet snacks. Smucker’s core product lines serve both retail and foodservice customers through grocery chains, mass merchandisers, club stores, convenience outlets and e-commerce channels.

Among its leading brands are Smucker’s® fruit spreads, Jif® peanut butter, Folgers® and Dunkin’® coffees, and Café Bustelo® coffee.