Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) Given New $180.00 Price Target at Stephens

Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) had its price objective trimmed by Stephens from $190.00 to $180.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on MZTI. Wall Street Zen cut Marzetti from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marzetti in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on Marzetti from $179.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $188.00.

Marzetti Trading Down 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ MZTI opened at $155.51 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $166.36 and a 200-day moving average of $171.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.81 and a beta of 0.39. Marzetti has a 12 month low of $152.95 and a 12 month high of $198.39.

Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $509.77 million for the quarter. Marzetti had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 18.55%. Marzetti’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Marzetti will post 6.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Marzetti Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. Marzetti’s payout ratio is 64.94%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Marzetti by 11.7% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 163,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,242,000 after purchasing an additional 17,187 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Marzetti by 17.6% during the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 24,873 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,297,000 after buying an additional 3,727 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Marzetti in the second quarter worth about $208,000. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Marzetti by 50.4% in the second quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC now owns 42,666 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,371,000 after buying an additional 14,290 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp boosted its position in Marzetti by 14.7% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 344,605 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,537,000 after acquiring an additional 44,279 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 66.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Marzetti

Here are the key news stories impacting Marzetti this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marzetti announced a definitive agreement to acquire Bachan’s (premium sauces) in a ~$400M deal — management says this will expand the company’s premium sauces footprint and product portfolio, which investors may view as a growth and margin-enhancing move. Marzetti to Acquire Bachan’s in $400 Million Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported record Q2 gross profit and highlighted strategic product expansion and higher-margin initiatives tied to the Bachan’s deal — a constructive sign for medium-term margin recovery. Q2 Highlights: Record Gross Profit and Strategic Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call presentation and full Q2 earnings transcripts are available for detail on volume pressures, pricing, and cost trends — useful for investors wanting granular guidance and management commentary. Q2 Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating with a $184 price target (implies upside from current levels), signaling analysts see potential but expect modest near-term returns. DA Davidson Reaffirms Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 EPS of $2.15 missed consensus ($2.23) and revenue showed only modest year-over-year growth; that earnings miss is a near-term negative catalyst. Q2 Earnings Summary & Key Takeaways
• Negative Sentiment: Stephens lowered its price target from $190 to $180 while keeping an “equal weight” rating, reducing upside expectations and adding pressure to the stock. Stephens Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary highlights the sharp intraday decline and investor concern about volume and near-term demand softness — sentiment pieces detail the “bitter plunge” reaction. The Marzetti Company’s Bitter Plunge

About Marzetti

Lancaster Colony Corporation engages in the manufacturing and marketing of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice channels in the United States. It operates in two segments, Retail and Foodservice. The company offers frozen garlic bread under the New York BRAND Bakery; frozen Parkerhouse style yeast and dinner rolls under the Sister Schubert's brand; salad dressings under the Marzetti, Simply Dressed, Cardini's, and Girard's brands; vegetable and fruit dips under the Marzetti brand; croutons and salad toppings under the New York BRAND Bakery, Chatham Village, and Marzetti brands; and frozen pasta under the Marzetti Frozen Pasta brand.