Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in General Mills, Inc. $GIS

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC decreased its position in General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) by 85.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,347 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,554 shares during the quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in General Mills were worth $118,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its stake in shares of General Mills by 255.8% during the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 59,791 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,015,000 after acquiring an additional 42,986 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in General Mills in the second quarter worth $417,508,000. AE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of General Mills by 7.7% during the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 346,005 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,445,000 after purchasing an additional 24,688 shares in the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of General Mills by 22.2% during the third quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,628,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $384,625,000 after purchasing an additional 1,383,913 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its holdings in shares of General Mills by 22.6% during the 2nd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 383,877 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,889,000 after purchasing an additional 70,800 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.71% of the company’s stock.

General Mills Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GIS opened at $45.38 on Thursday. General Mills, Inc. has a 52 week low of $42.78 and a 52 week high of $67.35. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $46.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market cap of $24.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.76 and a beta of -0.06.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 17th. The company reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.78 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 13.51% and a return on equity of 21.41%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.40 EPS. General Mills has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.580-3.790 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.36 earnings per share for the current year.

General Mills Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. General Mills’s payout ratio is 52.47%.

Trending Headlines about General Mills

Here are the key news stories impacting General Mills this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler remains constructive (keeps an “overweight” rating) despite trimming its price target, which provides some support that parts of the selloff may be overdone. Piper Sandler PT cut, overweight
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat / sector pieces are highlighting food stocks (including GIS) as defensive, reminding investors of steady cash flow characteristics that can attract buyers after a drop. Food Stocks to Buy Right Now (GIS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presented at the CAGNY conference outlining the “Accelerate” strategy and cost actions; this is important context but not an immediate catalyst by itself. CAGNY presentation
• Negative Sentiment: General Mills cut its fiscal‑2026 sales and profit guidance, now forecasting organic net sales down ~1.5%–2% (wider downside than prior range) and lower EPS guidance — the primary trigger for the earlier >7% drop. Reuters: General Mills cuts forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and outlets flagged higher restructuring costs (~$165M) and weaker shopper demand as drivers of steeper profit declines; that pushed downgrades and target‑price cuts. Benzinga: restructuring costs
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put buying (large options activity) signals increased hedging/speculative bearish positioning, which can amplify intraday moves. (Reported increased put volume on Feb 17.)
• Negative Sentiment: Critical analyst commentary and research pieces argue valuation and flat sales outcomes make GIS less attractive at current levels, adding to selling pressure from fundamental concerns. Seeking Alpha: low valuations no longer a buy Seeking Alpha: flat-sales bias
• Negative Sentiment: Some brokers trimmed price targets or moved to neutral/equal weight (e.g., Wells Fargo lowered its PT to $45 and set equal‑weight), which moderates near‑term upside. Benzinga: Wells Fargo PT cut

Insider Activity at General Mills

In related news, insider Paul Joseph Gallagher sold 1,500 shares of General Mills stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.15, for a total transaction of $72,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 48,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,338,549.20. This trade represents a 3.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on GIS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $51.00 target price on shares of General Mills in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on General Mills from $47.00 to $44.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on General Mills from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of General Mills from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of General Mills from $49.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, General Mills presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $51.37.

General Mills Company Profile

General Mills, Inc (NYSE: GIS) is a multinational consumer foods company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded food products. Its product categories include ready-to-eat and hot cereals, baking mixes and ingredients, snacks and bars, refrigerated and frozen doughs, yogurt and other dairy products, and a variety of shelf-stable meals and meal components. The company’s portfolio features widely recognized consumer brands across grocery store, mass channel and foodservice outlets.

Founded in the early 20th century and incorporated under its current name in 1928, General Mills has grown through both internal brand development and strategic expansion to become a global food company.