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

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) had its price objective decreased by stock analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $27.00 to $26.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s price objective points to a potential upside of 21.95% from the stock’s current price.

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

Hormel Foods Stock Performance

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

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Gary C. Bhojwani sold 20,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.51, for a total transaction of $495,102.00. Following the sale, the director owned 32,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $784,369.02. This trade represents a 38.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HRL. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Hormel Foods during the 2nd quarter worth $489,092,000. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings in Hormel Foods by 2,186.0% in 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 buying an additional 7,897,912 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings 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 worth $280,352,000 after acquiring an additional 4,526,167 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Hormel Foods during the 4th quarter worth $85,840,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Hormel Foods in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $51,787,000. 40.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Hormel Foods

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

About Hormel Foods

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.