Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE:UTZ) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE:UTZ) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $12.0556.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Utz Brands in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Utz Brands from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Utz Brands from $10.00 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Utz Brands from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Utz Brands from $12.00 to $10.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th.

Utz Brands News Roundup

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

• Negative Sentiment: The FDA’s highest-risk recall classification increases the seriousness of the issue and may heighten investor concern about potential costs, product pullbacks, and brand damage. Utz Potato Chip Recall Receives FDA’s Highest Risk Level Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports confirm the recall has been escalated across Utz chip brands, reinforcing the likelihood of ongoing negative headlines and additional scrutiny from regulators and consumers. Utz potato chip recall reaches highest risk level for salmonella: FDA
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage also notes that more than 600,000 bags are involved in a Class I recall, suggesting the event is large enough to have a meaningful operational and reputational impact. FDA issues most serious recall alert for potato chip brands over salmonella risk

Utz Brands Stock Performance

Shares of Utz Brands stock opened at $8.26 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $7.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.58. The company has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -82.54, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 1.14. Utz Brands has a one year low of $6.78 and a one year high of $14.67.

Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.01. Utz Brands had a positive return on equity of 8.61% and a negative net margin of 0.58%.The company had revenue of $361.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $361.76 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.16 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Utz Brands has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.771-0.795 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Utz Brands will post 0.78 EPS for the current year.

Utz Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd were given a $0.063 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 22nd. Utz Brands’s dividend payout ratio is presently -250.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Utz Brands

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Utz Brands by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,457 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074 shares during the last quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Utz Brands by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 140,831 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,711,000 after purchasing an additional 1,075 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Utz Brands by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 109,921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,380,000 after buying an additional 1,137 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in Utz Brands by 76.1% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,756 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,623 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its position in Utz Brands by 194.8% in the third quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 2,618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,730 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.97% of the company’s stock.

Utz Brands Company Profile

Utz Brands, Inc is a leading U.S. manufacturer and distributor of salty snack foods, offering a wide range of products including potato chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, popcorn and tortilla chips. Headquartered in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the company markets its snacks under several well-known brands and serves grocery, mass merchandise, club, convenience and online retailers throughout the United States.

Founded in 1921 by Bill and Salie Utz as a small country store operation, the business expanded gradually through direct delivery to local customers and sales to regional grocers.