Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.450-1.510 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.500. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.1 billion-$12.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.2 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HRL. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on Hormel Foods from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Bank of America increased their target price on Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $25.00 price target on Hormel Foods in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Stephens set a $23.00 price objective on Hormel Foods in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Hormel Foods from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $26.14.

Hormel Foods Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HRL opened at $21.53 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $24.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.38. The company has a market cap of $11.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.34. Hormel Foods has a 12 month low of $19.70 and a 12 month high of $26.60.

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.02. The company 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 9.91% and a net margin of 2.82%.Hormel Foods’s quarterly revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. Hormel Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.450-1.510 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Hormel Foods will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Gary C. Bhojwani sold 20,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.51, for a total transaction of $495,102.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 32,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $784,369.02. The trade was a 38.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

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, ahead of analyst estimates of approximately $0.35–$0.36 and up from $0.35 a year earlier. Margin expansion and cost management helped offset weaker volumes. 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, compared with prior guidance of $1.40–$1.50. Operating cash flow also increased 54% to $240.6 million. Hormel Foods Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane lowered its HRL price target from $27 to $26 and assigned a neutral rating. The revised target still implies meaningful potential upside from recent levels, but the rating signals limited confidence in near-term growth. BNP Paribas Exane Hormel Foods Price Target Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts view Hormel’s elevated dividend yield—reported at roughly 5.5% after the sell-off—and valuation as attractive for long-term income investors, though earnings-based valuation remains a concern. Hormel Foods: A Protein Powerhouse With a Secure Yield
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue fell 2.4% year over year to $2.96 billion, missing the roughly $3.03 billion consensus estimate. Retail sales declined 4%, international sales dropped 5%, and management cited pressured consumers, lower commodity prices and weak private-label snack-nut demand. Hormel Foods Cuts Annual Sales Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Hormel reduced fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to $12.1–$12.2 billion from $12.2–$12.5 billion, reinforcing concerns that sluggish demand and falling sales will limit growth despite improved margins and EPS. Why Hormel Foods Stock Swooned

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Hormel Foods by 172.2% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 1,961 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Hormel Foods by 1,089.1% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 2,407 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Hormel Foods by 110.9% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 2,255 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 1,186 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. purchased a new stake in Hormel Foods in the third quarter worth about $211,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Hormel Foods during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $73,000. 40.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.