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HRL·Hormel Foods Corporation

$19.65
+0.44 (+2.29%)
High
$19.70
Open
$19.29
Market Cap
10.56B
52W High
$26.60
Low
$19.23
P. Close
$19.65
P/E
30.81
52W Low
$18.96
Fwd P/E
12.27
DailyIQ Est.
$25.68
Inst. Ownership
22.8%
Short Interest
4.17%
Days to Cover
4.7
Div. Yield
6.07%
Next Ex-Div
~Jan 11
Div. Growth
38+ yrs
Technical Score (1D)
25
BEARISH
News Sentiment
55
BULLISH
On Oct 13, Hormel Foods Corp. reported that its adjusted operating margin had risen to 9% in the third quarter of 2026, a 60‑basis‑point increase driven by stronger Foodservice performance, lower pork costs, and disciplined expense management. The same day the company disclosed that it would pay a dividend of $0.29 per share, with the ex‑dividend date set for July 13, 2026 and the payment scheduled for August 17, 2026. The dividend announcement was framed as part of Hormel’s ongoing commitment to shareholder returns and its historical payout pattern. The margin expansion was achieved despite a decline in retail volumes, which the company offset through contract manufacturing and pricing adjustments. Both reports highlighted that no significant operational or financial changes were disclosed that would alter the company’s dividend outlook.
LOW TARGET
$23 +17.1%
2 analysts
MEAN TARGET
$26 +30.1%
11 analysts
HIGH TARGET
$30 +52.7%
4 analysts
PRICE RANGE
$23.00 - $30.00
SB / B / H / S / SS
1/5/9/1/1
DAILYIQ EST.
$25.68 (+30.7%)
Sector
Consumer Defensive
Industry
Packaged Foods
Exchange
NYQ
Country
United States
Symbol
HRL
Description
Hormel Foods Corporation is a diversified food producer and distributor, primarily serving the U.S. market but also with international presence. The company's core business revolves around processing and selling a wide range of food products, including both refrigerated and shelf-stable items, such as meats, nuts, and prepared meals. Hormel's portfolio features well-known brands like Hormel, Skippy, and Planters, catering to retail, foodservice, and commercial channels. This multi-channel distribution strategy, coupled with a diverse product offering, positions Hormel to capture a broad consumer base. Founded in 1891, the company has a long history and is headquartered in Austin, Minnesota.
Bought (1Y)
10,000 shares
$201K
Sold (1Y)
21,064 shares
$513K
Newlands William A-
Buy10,000 shares2026-10-05
Myers Kevin LSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Tax Withholding864 shares2026-10-03
Bhojwani Gary C.-
Award/Grant3,027.83 shares2026-09-30
Newlands William A-
Award/Grant7,635.41 shares2026-09-30
White Steven Andrew-
Award/Grant3,027.83 shares2026-09-30
70/ 100
Bullish
Overall: Bullish
✓Revenue growing year over year
✓Positive net margin
✓Positive operating cash flow
Gross Margin
15.6%
Net Margin
4.0%
Revenue CAGR
3.5%
Current Ratio
2.47x
Debt / Equity
0.36x
Return on Equity
6.1%
Earnings Summary
Hormel Foods Corporation, a diversified food producer headquartered in Austin, Minnesota, specializes in processing and distributing a broad array of packaged foods, including meats, nuts, and prepared meals, serving retail, foodservice, and commercial channels. Operating within the consumer defensive packaged foods sector, Hormel leverages a multi‑channel distribution strategy to capture a wide consumer base. In the most recent quarters, Hormel reported Q4 2024 revenue of $2.99 billion and Q1 2025 revenue of $2.90 billion, a modest decline from the prior year’s $3.02 billion, while EPS remained steady at $0.35 versus an estimate of $0.37476 in Q4 2024 and $0.33889 in Q1 2025, indicating a slight miss on earnings expectations. The company’s Q2 2025 revenue rose to $3.03 billion, and Q3 2025 revenue climbed to $3.19 billion, both surpassing prior quarter levels, yet EPS stayed flat at $0.35 against an estimate of $0.40961 in Q2 2025 and $0.30192 in Q3 2025, reflecting a consistent pattern of earnings beating estimates in Q3 2025 but missing in Q2 2025. Historically, Hormel has shown a YoY revenue growth trajectory that has accelerated in the last two quarters, with Q3 2025 revenue up 5.5% year‑over‑year, while EPS has remained relatively flat, suggesting a focus on margin preservation. The company has consistently beat analyst EPS estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, though revenue growth has occasionally lagged behind expectations. Recent news highlights a 60‑basis‑point increase in adjusted operating margin to 9% in Q3 2026 driven by stronger foodservice performance and lower pork costs, alongside a dividend increase to $0.29 per share, underscoring Hormel’s commitment to shareholder returns amid a challenging retail environment.

EPS

EstBeatMiss
$0.29$0.32$0.36$0.39$0.43Q4'24Q1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25
QtrEstActual+/−
Q4'25$0.37 - -
Q3'25$0.30$0.32+6.0%
Q2'25$0.41$0.35-14.6%
Q1'25$0.34$0.35+3.3%
Q4'24$0.37$0.35-6.6%

Revenue

EstBeatMiss
$2.9B$2.9B$3.0B$3.1B$3.2BQ4'24Q1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25
QtrEstActual+/−
Q4'25$3.2B - -
Q3'25 - $3.2B -
Q2'25 - $3.0B -
Q1'25 - $2.9B -
Q4'24 - $3.0B -

Market Data

HRL Stock Snapshot

BEARISH25/100
$19.65+$0.44 (2.3%)
Market cap
10.56B
P/E ratio
30.8
Day range
$19.23 – $19.70
News sentiment
55/100 · Neutral
Analyst target
$25.56 (+30.1%)
Consensus
Hold · 17 analysts
52-week range+3.6% off low · -26.1% from high
$18.96$26.60
Price $19.65 DailyIQ Est. $25.68

Momentum has rolled over on Hormel Foods Corporation, which is what drives the bearish read. The stock is liquid enough that positioning changes get absorbed without distorting the trend.

Reverse DCF

What growth is priced into HRL?

CHEAP

At today's price, Hormel Foods Corporation needs to grow free cash flow about -2.1% a year for the next 10 years to justify its valuation at a 6.00% cost of capital. Over its actual history it has compounded free cash flow at 6.4% a year, so the market is asking for 8.5 percentage points below its own delivered rate. On that basis HRL looks priced below what its own growth record supports.

Implied FCF growth
-2.1%
Historical FCF CAGR
6.4%
Growth gap
-8.5 pts
Verdict
CHEAP
Discount rate (WACC)
6.00%
Beta
0.32

Behaviour On Record

What HRL's own history says about today's numbers

Realized volatility (21d)
13.8% 11th pct
Below its peak
-64.7%
vs 200-day average
-16.2%
Up days (1y)
46%

Hormel Foods Corporation is currently running 13.8% annualised volatility over the last 21 sessions. Measured against HRL's own 13 years of daily returns rather than a market-wide average, that is the 11th percentile — unusually subdued by its own history, against a typical reading of 19.9%. The distinction matters because a number that looks calm for one stock is turbulent for another, and the absolute figure on its own tells you neither.

HRL is trading -64.7% below its running peak. Across 12 full years on file, its median worst-drawdown-in-a-year was -18.9%, and the deepest was -34.8% in 2023. The current drawdown is already deeper than this stock's typical annual low point, which puts it in the part of its range where past recoveries began — and where past declines also continued.

Price sits -16.2% from its 200-day moving average. Against every other day in its history, that gap ranks at the 4th percentile — a narrower gap than it typically runs. Over the past year HRL closed higher on 46% of sessions, and it is currently 1 session into a rising streak.

On October specifically: over 14 years of records, HRL finished the month higher 7 of 14 times, with a median return of -0.3% and an average of -0.9%. Its strongest month historically has been November at +2.5% on average, its weakest April at -1.9%. Seasonality is a weak signal on its own — a decade is a small sample and regimes change — but it is a real distribution rather than a rule of thumb.

Overnight risk is measurable too: HRL has opened more than 2% away from the prior close in 74 of 3,268 sessions (2.3% of the time), with the largest gaps running +8.5% and -9.1%. For anyone holding through an event, that rate is a better guide to overnight exposure than the intraday range.

All figures computed from 3,269 daily closes between 2013-10-15 and 2026-10-14, split-adjusted, recomputed daily. Percentiles are against HRL's own 13-year history, not a peer group or index.

Sector Rotation

Is money rotating into or out of HRL's sector?

Hormel Foods Corporation sits in the Consumer Staples sector, currently ranked 5th of 12 GICS sectors by relative-strength rotation score (leading).

Sector rank
#5 of 12
Sector state
Leading
Sector rotation score
82

Options Market

What is the options market pricing for HRL?

CallsPuts

For Hormel Foods Corporation's nearest expiry (2026-10-16, 2 days out), open interest is call-heavy, a bullish tilt (put/call ratio of 0.47), with at-the-money implied volatility around 28.9%. The options market is pricing roughly a ±2.1% move by that expiry — a range of about $19.19–$19.99.

Put/call ratio (2026-10-16)
0.47
ATM implied volatility
28.9%
Total open interest
11,722
Expected move by 2026-10-16
±2.1% ($19.19–$19.99)

Analyst Rating Changes

Are analysts turning bullish or bearish on HRL?

BNP Paribas most recently reiterated its rating on Hormel Foods Corporation to Neutral on Oct 7, 2026 with a price target of $23 (from $26). Over the last 90 days, coverage has run 0 upgrades against 0 downgrades, a net mixed lean.

Latest action
BNP Paribas — Neutral
90-day upgrades
0
90-day downgrades
0
Net rating momentum
0
DateFirmActionRatingPrice target
Oct 7, 2026BNP ParibasMaintainedNeutral$26 → $23
Aug 28, 2026BNP ParibasMaintainedNeutral$27 → $26
Aug 14, 2026JP MorganMaintainedNeutral$25 → $26
Jul 14, 2026BNP ParibasMaintainedNeutral$26 → $27
Jul 9, 2026Stephens & Co.ReiteratedEqual-Weight$25
Jun 30, 2026B of A SecuritiesMaintainedNeutral$25 → $27
May 29, 2026B of A SecuritiesMaintainedNeutral$23 → $25
May 29, 2026Stephens & Co.MaintainedEqual-Weight$22 → $25
May 21, 2026Stephens & Co.MaintainedEqual-Weight$27 → $22
Apr 9, 2026JP MorganDowngradeOverweight → Neutral$28 → $23
Feb 27, 2026Stephens & Co.MaintainedEqual-Weight$25 → $27
Feb 11, 2026Stephens & Co.MaintainedEqual-Weight$27 → $25

Peers & ETF holders

HRL peers & ETF holders

News Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment gathered from recent headlines

55/100
Strong NegativeNeutralStrong Positive
MODERATELY BULLISH

Recent News Coverage

Most recent articles, ranked by recency (click to expand).

10+ articles
What did this article say?
In the third quarter of 2026, Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL) increased its adjusted operating margin by 60 basis points to 9%, supported by robust Foodservice results and lower pork costs. Retail volume declines, driven by business exits and lower snack nut sales, were mitigated by contract manufacturing and pricing adjustments. Adjusted EPS grew 6% YoY to 37 cents, and the first‑nine‑months margin improved by 30 basis points.
What did this article say?
Hormel Foods Corp (HRL) announced a $0.29 per share dividend payable on August 17, 2026, with an ex‑dividend date of July 13, 2026. The dividend aligns with the company’s historical payout pattern and reflects its ongoing commitment to shareholder returns. The payment is part of HRL’s broader strategy to balance growth investments with consistent dividend growth. No significant operational or financial changes were disclosed that would alter the company’s dividend outlook.
What did this article say?
Barclays reduced its price target for Hormel Foods (HRL) from $30 to $28, reflecting a more cautious view of the company’s near‑term prospects. The downgrade came despite HRL’s current hold rating and a mean target of $25.25 from other analysts. The adjustment suggests Barclays believes growth momentum may slow or that valuation is already near the upper end of its range. This change could influence investor sentiment and trading activity around HRL shares. The move does not indicate a fundamental shift in HRL’s business model or earnings outlook.
What did this article say?
Hormel Foods Corp. completed a $1.055 billion acquisition of Brakebush Brothers, LLC, adding a portfolio of prepared proteins and grocery items to its foodservice channel. The deal expands Hormel’s presence in restaurants and institutional buyers, complementing its existing branded meat and convenience product lines. The transaction is expected to enhance revenue growth and diversify the company’s customer base, while the cost of capital remains a key consideration for long‑term value creation.
What did this article say?
Hormel Foods (HRL) partnered with Bauducco to introduce a peanut‑butter‑infused holiday loaf, SKIPPY Peanut Butter Chocottone, aimed at the upcoming holiday season. The co‑branded product blends HRL’s SKIPPY peanut butter with Bauducco’s Chocottone sweet bread, creating a seasonal offering that could attract holiday shoppers. HRL and Bauducco indicated plans to develop additional co‑created items, suggesting a broader, ongoing partnership beyond this single launch. The move aligns with HRL’s strategy to refresh its brand portfolio and tap into seasonal demand, potentially boosting short‑term sales and brand visibility.
What did this article say?
Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) reported a nearly 6% dividend yield, appealing to income-focused investors. The company’s well-known brands, such as SPAM and Skippy, continue to drive steady sales, especially in its foodservice segment, which logged its 12th consecutive quarter of organic growth. Retail volume declined 9% in the third quarter, but international sales helped offset the dip. Overall, the dividend and brand strength provide a modest tailwind for HRL without signaling a major upside.
What did this article say?
BNP Paribas analyst Max Gumport downgraded Hormel Foods’ price target from $26 to $23 while keeping a neutral recommendation. The move reflects a reassessment of the company’s valuation relative to peers. No significant operational or financial changes were cited, indicating a modest adjustment rather than a material shift. The downgrade suggests a slight headwind for the stock but does not signal a major catalyst.
What did this article say?
HRL reported that it is managing mixed input costs through pricing adjustments, supply‑chain improvements, and efficiency actions. Lower pork costs are expected to support future earnings. The company highlighted that these measures should help offset other cost pressures and improve profitability.
What did this article say?
BNP Paribas reduced its price target for Hormel Foods (HRL) from $26 to $23, reflecting a more cautious view of the company’s prospects. The downgrade came despite HRL maintaining an average hold rating and a mean target of $25.50 among analysts. The move signals that analysts expect weaker earnings growth or increased competitive pressure in the food sector. This adjustment may influence investor sentiment and could lead to a modest decline in the stock price. The downgrade is part of a broader trend of tightening guidance in the consumer staples space.
What did this article say?
Hormel Foods (HRL) fell 50.5% over the past five years, reflecting a significant decline in share price. The company’s dividend yield rose to nearly 5.7% as of October 2, reaching a multi‑year high. Despite the attractive yield, the stock’s long‑term performance has been negative, limiting its appeal to growth‑focused investors. Analysts view HRL as a potential rebound candidate, but the current trajectory remains a material headwind for the company.

Technical Analysis

Real-time indicators across multiple timeframes

25
BEARISH
Momentum rank against about 1,000 stocks and ETFs for this timeframe.
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Institutional & Hedge Fund Ownership
25 tracked managers · $3.05B combined position · 13 adding, 12 trimming, 0 unchanged (latest 13F filings)
ManagerTrendShares Held% of Co.Position ValueFiled
Vanguard Group Inc▼ Sell37,133,9916.79%$880.08M2026-01-29
BlackRock, Inc.▼ Sell19,705,5553.60%$489.09M2026-08-07
Invesco Ltd.▲ Buy15,171,5612.77%$376.56M2026-08-14
Two Sigma Investments, LP▲ Buy12,325,7122.25%$305.92M2026-08-14
Geode Capital Management, LLC▲ Buy8,186,1641.50%$202.83M2026-08-12
Morgan Stanley▼ Sell6,189,5921.13%$153.63M2026-08-13
Norges Bank▲ Buy5,704,0041.04%$141.57M2026-08-12
Goldman Sachs Group Inc▲ Buy5,371,4840.98%$133.32M2026-08-14
Northern Trust Corp▼ Sell2,664,0780.49%$66.12M2026-08-13
Bank of America Corp▼ Sell2,086,5070.38%$51.79M2026-08-14
JPMorgan Chase & Co▼ Sell1,616,0140.30%$42.87M2026-08-12
Millennium Management LLC▼ Sell1,371,2680.25%$34.03M2026-08-14
Balyasny Asset Management L.P.▲ Buy1,193,3190.22%$29.62M2026-08-14
AQR Capital Management LLC▲ Buy1,045,4450.19%$25.95M2026-08-14
Citadel Advisors LLC▼ Sell911,7740.17%$22.63M2026-09-02
Gotham Asset Management, LLC▲ Buy810,3770.15%$20.11M2026-08-14
Squarepoint Ops LLC▲ Buy540,5300.10%$13.42M2026-08-14
Citigroup Inc▼ Sell507,8460.09%$12.60M2026-08-03
D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc.▲ Buy492,2140.09%$12.22M2026-08-14
ExodusPoint Capital Management, LP▲ Buy361,0830.07%$8.96M2026-08-14
Susquehanna International Group, LLP▼ Sell286,4980.05%$7.11M2026-08-14
AllianceBernstein L.P.▼ Sell303,3960.06%$6.87M2026-08-14
Wells Fargo & Company▲ Buy265,4010.05%$6.59M2026-08-14
Prudential Financial Inc▼ Sell147,1340.03%$3.65M2026-08-12
Brevan Howard Capital Management LP▲ Buy137,9030.03%$3.42M2026-08-14
Q2 2026 flow:6.75M sh bought ($167.50M)11.18M sh sold ($278.31M)net -4.43M sh (−$110.81M)
Congressional Trading Activity
5 disclosed trades · ~$40.0K est. traded value · 2 buys, 3 sells
MemberChamberStateTypeAmountTradedFiled
Kevin HernHouseOK01▼ Sell$1K - $15K2026-08-132026-09-01
Lisa McClainHouseMI09▼ Sell$1K - $15K2025-09-252025-10-22
Lisa McClainHouseMI09▲ Buy$1K - $15K2025-09-112025-10-22
Lisa McClainHouseMI09▼ Sell$1K - $15K2025-07-222025-08-13
Lisa McClainHouseMI09▲ Buy$1K - $15K2025-07-162025-08-13