Hilton Food Group (LON:HFG) Shares Down 10.8% – Here’s Why

Hilton Food Group plc (LON:HFG)’s share price dropped 10.8% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 447.89 and last traded at GBX 458.72. Approximately 26,305,262 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 1,460% from the average daily volume of 1,685,976 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 514.

Key Hilton Food Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hilton Food Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valuation may attract value investors: HFG’s trailing P/E of ~10.7 implies a relatively low earnings multiple versus some peers, which could draw buyers if investors view the sell-off as overdone.
• Neutral Sentiment: Volume spike and volatility: Today’s volume (26.3m vs avg ~1.7m) is an order of magnitude higher than normal — this magnifies price moves but doesn’t on its own indicate whether fundamentals changed or whether it’s technical/liquidity-driven.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-term technicals: Price is below the 50-day (GBX ~500.5) and well under the 200-day (GBX ~643.2). That suggests momentum is weak and technical-driven selling may be contributing to declines.
• Negative Sentiment: Balance sheet/leverage concerns: Debt-to-equity of ~148.8% is high for a food-packaging/processing group; higher leverage can increase investor sensitivity to margin pressure and cash-flow risks.
• Negative Sentiment: Liquidity metrics are modest: Current ratio ~1.11 and quick ratio ~0.88 indicate limited short-term cushion, which can exacerbate investor concern if earnings or cash flow outlooks weaken.
• Negative Sentiment: Proximity to 12-month low: Trading near the 12-month low (GBX ~447.9) vs a high of GBX ~920 signals a sustained downtrend year-to-date that can trigger stop-losses and further pressure.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Berenberg Bank lowered their target price on Hilton Food Group from GBX 1,090 to GBX 790 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a GBX 670 price target on shares of Hilton Food Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Hilton Food Group from GBX 750 to GBX 540 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Shore Capital restated a “house stock” rating on shares of Hilton Food Group in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hilton Food Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of GBX 666.67.

Hilton Food Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 148.82, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The business has a 50-day moving average of GBX 500.54 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 643.17. The company has a market capitalization of £412.65 million, a P/E ratio of 10.67, a P/E/G ratio of 17.31 and a beta of 0.57.

About Hilton Food Group

Hilton Food Group plc is a leading international food and supply chain services partner. We partner with leading retailers, brands and food service partners across the world.

We offer a unique multi-category proposition of outstanding protein products including meat, seafood, vegan and vegetarian, and easier meals. We also offer a range of supply chain service expertise and solutions through our investment in innovative, leading technology such as Foods Connected, Agito Group and Cellular Agriculture Ltd.

We are a business of over 7,000 employees, operating from 24 technologically advanced food processing, packing and logistics facilities across 19 markets in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America.