Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) Stock Price

Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) had its price target hoisted by Morgan Stanley from $29.00 to $31.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Smithfield Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Smithfield Foods in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $29.38.

Smithfield Foods Stock Up 2.1%

NASDAQ SFD opened at $24.99 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $24.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.96, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.12. Smithfield Foods has a 52 week low of $18.55 and a 52 week high of $26.07.

Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 24th. The company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $4.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.19 billion. The company’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.52 EPS.

Smithfield Foods Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 7th will be given a dividend of $0.3125 per share. This represents a $1.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. This is a positive change from Smithfield Foods’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 7th. Smithfield Foods’s dividend payout ratio is 45.05%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Smithfield Foods by 94.0% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 3,634,709 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,343,000 after buying an additional 1,760,713 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in Smithfield Foods by 653.3% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,664,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,084,000 after acquiring an additional 1,443,605 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Smithfield Foods in the 4th quarter worth about $31,291,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Smithfield Foods by 583.6% during the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 1,212,144 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,461,000 after acquiring an additional 1,034,814 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its stake in shares of Smithfield Foods by 553.2% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,061,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,930,000 after acquiring an additional 899,200 shares in the last quarter.

Smithfield Foods News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and record fiscal 2025 results — Smithfield reported $0.83 EPS (vs. ~$0.67 est.), $4.23B revenue (+7% YoY), record annual operating profit of ~$1.3B and raised its outlook; management highlighted strong packaged‑meats performance and $1B+ operating cash flow. Smithfield Foods Reports Record Fiscal 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.3125 (25% increase) implying a $1.25 annualized payout and ~5.1% yield; signals strong cash generation and shareholder returns. Smithfield Foods Reports Record Fiscal 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: M&A: announced acquisition of Nathan’s Famous (~$450M) — strategic move to own an iconic brand, capture retail margin upside and accelerate earnings growth. Smithfield Foods Reports Record Fiscal 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price target raises — Morgan Stanley raised its target to $31 and put an Overweight; Bank of America reiterated Buy and lifted its target to $32, giving double‑digit upside vs. current levels and supporting further upside momentum. Benzinga Buy Rating on Smithfield Foods — TipRanks
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and investor materials — earnings call transcript, slide deck and media pieces offer detail for investors evaluating sustainability of margin gains and the FY‑2026 outlook (low‑single‑digit sales growth; adjusted operating profit guide). Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker/coverage pieces and “revisit” articles — several outlets discuss whether SFD is due for more upside after a strong one‑year gain; useful for sentiment but not new fundamental news. Is It Time To Revisit Smithfield Foods (SFD)?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest posts appear inconsistent/erroneous in filings (entries report 0 shares / NaN changes), so no clear short squeeze signal at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Cost pressure risk — commentary noting higher labor/input costs could weigh on margins going forward; investors should watch whether productivity gains offset inflationary headwinds. Labor Costs Move Higher — Zacks

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.