Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFD) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFD) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $28.3125.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on SFD. Wall Street Zen raised Smithfield Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Smithfield Foods in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Smithfield Foods from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Smithfield Foods from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $29.00 price target on shares of Smithfield Foods and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th.

Smithfield Foods Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:SFD opened at $24.10 on Wednesday. Smithfield Foods has a 52 week low of $18.43 and a 52 week high of $26.07. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $22.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.12. The company has a market cap of $9.47 billion and a P/E ratio of 10.86.

Smithfield Foods Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 13th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 13th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.1%. Smithfield Foods’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.05%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smithfield Foods

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. American Capital Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Smithfield Foods by 38.0% during the fourth quarter. American Capital Advisory LLC now owns 6,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $154,000 after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares during the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Smithfield Foods in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of Smithfield Foods by 47.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,023,625 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,858,000 after buying an additional 329,187 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC raised its stake in shares of Smithfield Foods by 17.3% during the 4th quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 29,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $662,000 after buying an additional 4,375 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kendall Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Smithfield Foods in the 4th quarter worth about $208,000.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: SFD) is one of the world’s largest pork processors and hog producers. Founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, the company has grown from a regional ham producer into a fully integrated food company offering a broad range of fresh pork, value-added meats and prepared foods. Its product portfolio includes bacon, ham, sausage, ribs and deli meats marketed under well-known brands such as Smithfield®, Nathan’s Famous® and Eckrich®.

Smithfield operates a network of hog production facilities, processing plants and distribution centers across the United States, Europe and Latin America.