BNP Paribas Exane Lowers Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) Price Target to $26.00

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) had its price target cut by equities researchers at BNP Paribas Exane from $27.00 to $26.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 21.95% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Stephens set a $23.00 target price on Hormel Foods in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Hormel Foods in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Hormel Foods from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hormel Foods presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $26.14.

Hormel Foods Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of HRL stock traded up $0.04 on Friday, hitting $21.32. The stock had a trading volume of 4,719,622 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,870,511. The business has a 50 day moving average of $24.81 and a 200 day moving average of $23.39. Hormel Foods has a 12-month low of $19.70 and a 12-month high of $26.60. The stock has a market cap of $11.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. Hormel Foods had a return on equity of 9.74% and a net margin of 3.82%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.35 EPS. Hormel Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.450-1.510 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Hormel Foods will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hormel Foods news, Director Gary C. Bhojwani sold 20,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.51, for a total transaction of $495,102.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 32,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $784,369.02. This represents a 38.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hormel Foods

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Hormel Foods in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $489,092,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Hormel Foods by 2,186.0% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 8,259,202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,993,000 after acquiring an additional 7,897,912 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Hormel Foods by 66.5% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 11,331,941 shares of the company’s stock valued at $280,352,000 after acquiring an additional 4,526,167 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Hormel Foods in the fourth quarter valued at $85,840,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Hormel Foods in the second quarter valued at $51,787,000. 40.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hormel Foods News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Hormel Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hormel reported adjusted third-quarter EPS of $0.37, above the roughly $0.35–$0.36 analyst consensus and up from $0.35 a year earlier. Margin expansion, cost management, and stronger foodservice performance helped offset weaker retail demand. Hormel Foods Q3 Earnings Beat on Margin Expansion, Sales Miss
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised and narrowed its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $1.45–$1.51, with the midpoint broadly in line with expectations. Operating improvements and higher cash flow—up 54% year over year to $240.6 million—support the earnings outlook. Hormel Foods raises adjusted EPS outlook despite Q3 sales miss
• Positive Sentiment: Some investors view HRL as a long-term value and income opportunity because the selloff lifted its dividend yield to approximately 5.5%, while Hormel retains well-known brands and relatively moderate leverage. Hormel Foods: A Protein Powerhouse With A Secure 5.5% Yield And Long-Term Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Hormel appointed a former Tyson Foods executive as chief financial officer, adding new leadership as the company works to improve sales momentum and portfolio performance. Hormel Foods names former Tyson exec CFO
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors are split: HRL appears inexpensive on returns and dividend income, but its earnings multiple remains demanding relative to its sluggish growth. Unusually heavy put-option activity also signals heightened near-term caution.
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue fell 2.4% year over year to $2.96 billion, missing estimates near $3.03 billion. Retail sales declined 4% and international sales fell 5%, while lower turkey and nut prices, weaker volumes, and consumer trade-down behavior pressured the top line. Hormel Foods cuts annual sales forecast as sluggish consumer demand weighs
• Negative Sentiment: Hormel reduced fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to $12.1–$12.2 billion from $12.2–$12.5 billion, reinforcing concerns that weak retail demand and private-label snack-nut softness may persist. Reported results were also hurt by Brazil divestiture, impairment, and litigation charges. Why Hormel Foods Stock Swooned by 10% Today

Hormel Foods Company 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.