Citigroup Inc. Buys 162,729 Shares of Hormel Foods Corporation $HRL

Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 520,563 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 162,729 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. owned about 0.09% of Hormel Foods worth $12,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Hormel Foods by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,595,843 shares of the company’s stock worth $930,121,000 after acquiring an additional 729,942 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Hormel Foods by 1.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,068,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $849,078,000 after purchasing an additional 354,340 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Hormel Foods by 2.2% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,886,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,589,000 after purchasing an additional 166,152 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Hormel Foods by 11.2% in the third quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,769,398 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,735,000 after purchasing an additional 581,006 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Hormel Foods during the 2nd quarter worth $101,201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.99% of the company’s stock.

More Hormel Foods News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hormel Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on the bottom line — adjusted EPS $0.34 topped the $0.32 consensus while total sales rose ~1.3% year-over-year, supporting the view that profitability actions are working. Hormel Foods Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded HRL to a Rank #2 (Buy), citing improved earnings prospects — that upgrade is a clear positive near-term catalyst. Hormel (HRL) Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens raised its price target to $27 (from $25) while keeping an Equal Weight rating — the higher target provides incremental analyst support. Stephens raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Company communications and press coverage suggest the multi-pronged turnaround (portfolio reshaping, margin actions) is gaining traction, which helps investor sentiment. HORMEL FOODS REPORTS FIRST-QUARTER FISCAL 2026 RESULTS
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance was set to $1.43–$1.51 (consensus ~ $1.46) — guidance narrows expectations but is roughly in line with Street estimates, so it’s not a clear tailwind or headwind. Hormel (HRL) Reports Q1 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say
• Neutral Sentiment: Performance was mixed by channel — strong Foodservice and International sales offset significant retail weakness, making the top‑line outlook uneven. Hormel Mixed Q1: Retail Weakness Weigh On Strong Foodservice, International Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Retail demand softness drove a quarterly sales miss versus estimates and declining volumes, a durable risk if consumer downtrading continues. Hormel misses quarterly sales estimates on weak retail demand
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts/commentary note weaker relative total returns over recent years and question the valuation and long-term growth profile despite dividend‑king status — a caution for value-focused investors. Hormel: Hope Feels Canned Like The Ham

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on HRL shares. Bank of America upped their target price on Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Stephens raised their target price on Hormel Foods from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised Hormel Foods from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $26.00 target price (up from $25.00) on shares of Hormel Foods in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Hormel Foods from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.71.

Hormel Foods Stock Performance

NYSE HRL opened at $25.64 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $14.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company’s 50 day moving average is $24.24 and its 200-day moving average is $24.31. Hormel Foods Corporation has a 12-month low of $21.03 and a 12-month high of $32.07.

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.07 billion. Hormel Foods had a net margin of 4.03% and a return on equity of 9.36%. Hormel Foods’s revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.35 EPS. Hormel Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.430-1.510 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Hormel Foods Corporation will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Hormel Foods Profile

Hormel Foods Corporation is a global branded foods company primarily engaged in the production, marketing and distribution of value-added, high-quality meat and food products. The company’s portfolio spans a range of categories including refrigerated and frozen meats, pantry staples, specialty foods and shelf-stable items. Through manufacturing facilities located across North America and international markets, Hormel Foods supplies retail grocers, foodservice operators, convenience stores and e-commerce platforms.

Among its best-known brands, Hormel Foods produces SPAM® canned meats, Jennie-O® turkey products, Skippy® peanut butter and Applegate® natural and organic meats.