Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) Shares Down 3.7% – Here’s What Happened

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG)’s stock price was down 3.7% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $17.10 and last traded at $17.15. Approximately 3,619,121 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 59% from the average daily volume of 8,879,580 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.80.

Conagra Brands News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Conagra Brands this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a $0.35 quarterly dividend (7.9% yield), supporting income investors and providing a floor for the stock. Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 reported EPS was $0.45, narrowly beating the consensus $0.44, but revenue was $2.98B (below the ~$3.0B estimate) — a mixed print that removes upside surprise but avoids a clear miss. Quarterly Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management maintained full‑year sales and profit forecasts, signaling confidence in the plan despite near‑term pressure. That stability is neutral — it prevents a pessimistic reset but offers limited upside. Reuters: Maintains Forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Company took a large $968M impairment in Q2, weighing on reported results and investor sentiment; such charges can raise questions about portfolio strength and near‑term cash flow optics. MSN: $968M Impairment
• Negative Sentiment: Organic net sales declined (~3%) and total revenue fell ~6.8% year‑over‑year, reflecting softer volumes as consumers pull back — a demand weakness that could pressure margins and growth expectations. Zacks: Sales Decline
• Negative Sentiment: The firm set FY‑2026 EPS guidance at $1.70–$1.85 (slightly below street consensus ~ $1.81) and some analysts have trimmed targets (JPMorgan lowered its price target), which adds downward pressure on the stock. Analyst PT Cut

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on CAG. Zacks Research upgraded Conagra Brands from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Conagra Brands in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Conagra Brands from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Conagra Brands from $20.00 to $19.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $20.25.

Conagra Brands Stock Down 2.6%

The stock has a market cap of $8.30 billion, a P/E ratio of -78.84 and a beta of -0.01. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $17.65 and its 200 day moving average is $18.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.01. Conagra Brands had a return on equity of 11.72% and a net margin of 7.42%.The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.70 EPS. Conagra Brands’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Conagra Brands has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.700-1.85 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Conagra Brands will post 2.35 EPS for the current year.

Conagra Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 27th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 27th. Conagra Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -636.36%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Melissa C. Napier sold 13,011 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.19, for a total value of $223,659.09. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.57% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Conagra Brands

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quaker Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Conagra Brands by 202.3% during the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,427 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in Conagra Brands in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Conagra Brands during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in Conagra Brands by 844.4% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,596 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC increased its stake in Conagra Brands by 522.1% in the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 1,636 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,373 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.75% of the company’s stock.

Conagra Brands Company Profile

Conagra Brands, Inc is a leading packaged foods company based in Chicago, Illinois, with a broad portfolio of shelf-stable, frozen and refrigerated foods marketed under familiar brands. The company develops, produces and distributes a wide range of consumer food products, serving both retail grocery and foodservice channels. Conagra’s product lineup includes frozen entrees, snacks, condiments, baking goods and desserts, providing convenient meal solutions for consumers across North America and select international markets.

Among its well-known brands are Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Marie Callender’s and Banquet in the frozen foods category, as well as Hunt’s sauces, Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, Slim Jim meat snacks and Reddi-wip toppings.