D.A. Davidson & CO. Has $3.15 Million Position in Conagra Brands $CAG

D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) by 44.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 200,325 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 62,087 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Conagra Brands were worth $3,149,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CAG. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 23,541 shares of the company’s stock worth $628,000 after acquiring an additional 954 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in shares of Conagra Brands during the 1st quarter worth approximately $225,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 5.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 36,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $970,000 after purchasing an additional 2,038 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 40,326 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 11,664 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 3.9% during the second quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 50,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,033,000 after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares during the period. 83.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Conagra Brands

Here are the key news stories impacting Conagra Brands this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on Conagra Brands to $17 from $16 and kept an overweight rating, implying meaningful upside from current levels. Barclays raises Conagra price target
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated a Hold rating but lifted its target to $14 from $13, and UBS also nudged its target higher to $14, suggesting analysts see some stabilization after the post-earnings reset. Conagra begins strategic reset with dividend cut and higher reinvestment
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports argue that Conagra’s dividend cut could be constructive because it frees up about $335 million annually for debt reduction and brand investment, which may support a longer-term turnaround. Why Conagra’s dividend cut could be the best thing for investors
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s Q4 results were mixed: adjusted EPS was roughly in line, but revenue and operating profit missed expectations and management issued a weak annual outlook. Reuters: Conagra forecasts annual profit below estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is emphasizing a margin reset, supply-chain improvements, portfolio simplification, and selective reinvestment, which supports the idea of a turnaround but also highlights that the recovery will take time. Q4 earnings call highlights margin reset and cost focus
• Negative Sentiment: The dividend cut and below-estimate profit outlook signal ongoing pressure on earnings and cash flow, which remains a concern for income-focused investors. Seeking Alpha commentary on Conagra dividend cut

Conagra Brands Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of CAG opened at $14.29 on Monday. Conagra Brands has a 1 year low of $12.53 and a 1 year high of $20.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $13.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.70. The stock has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of -3.57 and a beta of -0.02.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.89 billion. Conagra Brands had a positive return on equity of 10.44% and a negative net margin of 16.99%.Conagra Brands’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.56 EPS. Conagra Brands has set its FY 2027 guidance at 1.400-1.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Conagra Brands will post 1.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Conagra Brands Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.175 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 30th. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.9%. Conagra Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -35.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. BTIG Research began coverage on Conagra Brands in a research report on Monday, April 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on shares of Conagra Brands from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $17.00 to $15.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $14.07.

Conagra Brands Company Profile

Conagra Brands, Inc is a leading packaged foods company based in Chicago, Illinois, with a broad portfolio of shelf-stable, frozen and refrigerated foods marketed under familiar brands. The company develops, produces and distributes a wide range of consumer food products, serving both retail grocery and foodservice channels. Conagra’s product lineup includes frozen entrees, snacks, condiments, baking goods and desserts, providing convenient meal solutions for consumers across North America and select international markets.

Among its well-known brands are Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Marie Callender’s and Banquet in the frozen foods category, as well as Hunt’s sauces, Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, Slim Jim meat snacks and Reddi-wip toppings.