Associated British Foods’ (ABF) “Hold” Rating Reaffirmed at Shore Capital Group

Associated British Foods (LON:ABF)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reissued by investment analysts at Shore Capital Group in a research report issued on Thursday,London Stock Exchange reports. They currently have a GBX 2,010 target price on the stock. Shore Capital Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 4.55% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Associated British Foods from GBX 1,925 to GBX 1,850 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Associated British Foods to an “underperform” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from GBX 2,050 to GBX 1,850 in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Associated British Foods from £141 to £133 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a GBX 1,650 target price on shares of Associated British Foods in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a GBX 2,050 price target on shares of Associated British Foods in a report on Friday, June 26th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of GBX 3,498.57.

Associated British Foods Trading Down 0.1%

LON:ABF opened at GBX 1,922.50 on Thursday. Associated British Foods has a 52 week low of GBX 1,729.45 and a 52 week high of GBX 2,359. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,863.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 1,911.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.63, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.51. The firm has a market cap of £13.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.81.

Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, June 17th. The company reported GBX 174.90 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of GBX 1,945.90 billion for the quarter. Associated British Foods had a return on equity of 8.44% and a net margin of 4.89%. On average, equities analysts expect that Associated British Foods will post 188.0990415 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Loraine Woodhouse bought 1,074 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 1,853 per share, with a total value of £19,901.22. Company insiders own 1.52% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Associated British Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting Associated British Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Primark sales are still edging higher and are helping offset weakness in the Sugar business, which supports the case for the group’s broader earnings resilience. Associated British Foods maintains full-year outlook as Primark growth offsets Sugar challenges (ABF)
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Primark is still on track for a potential separation from parent company AB Foods by the end of 2027, which keeps the spin-off story alive but does not appear to change near-term trading. Primark on track to split from parent company by the end of 2027
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated an underperform rating and a GBX 1,650 price target, adding to the cautious broker backdrop already weighing on the stock. Broker views
• Negative Sentiment: AB Foods warned of more sugar losses as elevated gas costs from the Iran war threaten margins in its Sugar division, a key reason the stock is falling. Primark owner AB Foods still expects lower annual profit
• Negative Sentiment: Management maintained lower profit expectations for fiscal 2026, signaling that the sugar downturn is still expected to outweigh other strengths. Associated British Foods Maintains Lower Profit Expectations for Fiscal 2026; Shares Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup cut its price target and downgraded Associated British Foods plc (ABF) to sell, while Jefferies reaffirmed an underperform view, reinforcing concerns that earnings risk remains elevated. London Stock Exchange broker ratings

About Associated British Foods

Associated British Foods is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £13.9bn, 128,000 employees and operations in 53 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia.

Our purpose is to provide safe, nutritious, affordable food, and clothing that is great value for money. With the breadth of our business, our brands and global reach, ABF aims to consistently deliver value to its stakeholders.

Our business is split into five segments: Grocery; Sugar; Agriculture; Ingredients; and Retail.