General Mills (NYSE:GIS) Given New $45.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

General Mills (NYSE:GIS) had its target price lowered by Wells Fargo & Company from $49.00 to $45.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group set a $46.00 target price on shares of General Mills in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on General Mills from $60.00 to $53.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on General Mills from $47.00 to $45.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $63.00 target price on General Mills and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $51.00 price target on shares of General Mills in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, General Mills presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $51.37.

General Mills Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:GIS opened at $45.38 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $46.15 and its 200-day moving average is $47.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.66. General Mills has a 52 week low of $42.78 and a 52 week high of $67.35. The company has a market capitalization of $24.22 billion, a PE ratio of 9.76 and a beta of -0.06.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, December 17th. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.40 EPS. General Mills has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.580-3.790 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that General Mills will post 4.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Mills Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at General Mills

In other news, insider Paul Joseph Gallagher sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.15, for a total value of $72,225.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 48,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,338,549.20. This trade represents a 3.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On General Mills

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GIS. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its stake in General Mills by 255.8% in the third quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 59,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,015,000 after buying an additional 42,986 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in General Mills during the second quarter worth about $417,508,000. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of General Mills by 7.7% in the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 346,005 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,445,000 after acquiring an additional 24,688 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of General Mills by 22.2% in the third quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,628,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $384,625,000 after acquiring an additional 1,383,913 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund boosted its stake in shares of General Mills by 22.6% in 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 in the last quarter. 75.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key General Mills News

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

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.