Q1 EPS Estimates for Flowers Foods Reduced by Zacks Research

Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Flowers Foods in a report issued on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $0.28 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.33. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Flowers Foods’ current full-year earnings is $1.18 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Flowers Foods’ Q2 2026 earnings at $0.25 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.20 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.17 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $0.90 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.32 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.24 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.20 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.19 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $0.96 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $0.88 EPS.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Truist Financial cut their price target on Flowers Foods from $15.00 to $10.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $11.00 price target on shares of Flowers Foods in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Stephens set a $11.00 price target on shares of Flowers Foods in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Flowers Foods in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Flowers Foods currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $12.60.

Flowers Foods Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FLO opened at $9.09 on Friday. Flowers Foods has a twelve month low of $8.71 and a twelve month high of $20.23. The company has a market cap of $1.92 billion, a PE ratio of 22.73 and a beta of 0.36. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $10.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.06. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 1.59% and a return on equity of 16.61%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.22 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Flowers Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.800-0.900 EPS.

Flowers Foods Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.9%. Flowers Foods’s payout ratio is 247.50%.

Insider Transactions at Flowers Foods

In other Flowers Foods news, CEO Ryals Mcmullian sold 209,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.87, for a total transaction of $2,271,830.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,022,380 shares in the company, valued at $11,113,270.60. This represents a 16.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 11.57% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Flowers Foods

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. WealthCollab LLC lifted its position in shares of Flowers Foods by 1,623.7% during the 4th quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,192 shares during the period. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Flowers Foods in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in Flowers Foods by 262.9% during the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 2,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 1,898 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in Flowers Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its position in shares of Flowers Foods by 225.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 2,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 1,663 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.45% of the company’s stock.

More Flowers Foods News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Flowers promoted a new president for its Simple Mills business, signaling focused leadership for the natural/plant‑based brand that could improve execution and integration within the portfolio. Flowers Foods Names New President of Simple Mills Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks slightly raised some quarter-specific forecasts (notably Q4 2026 and Q4 2027 estimates), but these small lifts are outweighed by broader cuts and did not change Zacks’ overall negative view. MarketBeat: FLO analyst updates
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued multiple downward revisions across quarters and trimmed FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts (FY2026 cut to $0.90 from $1.03; FY2027 cut to $0.96 from $1.07), lowered several quarterly estimates (Q1–Q3 2026 and various 2027 quarters), and reiterated a “Strong Sell” rating — a clear catalyst for negative investor sentiment and pressure on the share price. MarketBeat: Zacks Research note summaries

Flowers Foods Company Profile

Flowers Foods, Inc is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States, offering a variety of fresh bread, buns, rolls, snack cakes and tortillas. Headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, the company operates an extensive network of bakeries and distribution centers that serve retail grocery chains, convenience stores, mass merchandisers and foodservice customers nationwide. Flowers Foods markets its products under well-known brands such as Nature’s Own, Wonder, Dave’s Killer Bread, Mrs.