Post (NYSE:POST) Trading Up 10.9% Following Strong Earnings

Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST) shares rose 10.9% during trading on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $117.13 and last traded at $115.7840. Approximately 141,820 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 786,974 shares. The stock had previously closed at $104.41.

The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.18 billion. Post had a net margin of 4.11% and a return on equity of 11.72%. The business’s revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.73 earnings per share.

Key Headlines Impacting Post

Here are the key news stories impacting Post this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and guidance lift: Post reported $2.13 EPS for Q1 (above consensus) and raised its fiscal 2026 Adjusted EBITDA outlook to $1,550–$1,580M, which supports upside to margins and valuation. PR Newswire: Q1 Results & Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Leadership change at Post Consumer Brands: Greg Pearson will become President & CEO of Post Consumer Brands (effective April 1), a move investors may view as strengthening commercial execution and brand strategy. PR Newswire: CEO Appointment
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue growth but mixed vs. estimates: Net sales rose ~10% YoY to ~$2.17B, showing underlying volume/price momentum, but the top line was essentially flat to some analyst estimates — a reason for tempered upside. Zacks: Q1 Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and price targets skew positive: Multiple brokerages maintain Outperform/Overweight ratings and median targets (~$120), supporting further upside if execution continues. QuiverQuant: Analyst & Target Context
• Negative Sentiment: Cash flow and balance‑sheet concerns: Third‑party summaries flagged weaker operating cash flow, a big drop in cash & equivalents year‑over‑year, and rising liabilities — items that raise leverage and liquidity questions for a business with ~1.97 debt/equity. QuiverQuant: Cash & Balance Sheet Details
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed / conflicting reads in some data: Some outlets noted slight misses vs alternative consensus on revenue or EPS depending on adjustments; insider selling and sizable institutional position changes were also reported, which could add short‑term volatility. Zacks: Metric Comparison

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Post from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Post from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 23rd. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Post from $125.00 to $113.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on Post from $131.00 to $129.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Post from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $125.33.

Insider Activity

In other Post news, Director David W. Kemper purchased 1,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $97.93 per share, for a total transaction of $176,274.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 31,522 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,086,949.46. This trade represents a 6.06% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Bradly A. Harper sold 1,658 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.69, for a total value of $160,312.02. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 11,441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,106,230.29. The trade was a 12.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 14.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Post

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Post during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Post by 119.5% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 248 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Post by 62.8% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 267 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Highlander Partners L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Post during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Post by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 375 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.85% of the company’s stock.

Post Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $5.89 billion, a PE ratio of 20.88 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $99.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $104.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 0.95.

Post Company Profile

Post Holdings, Inc is a consumer packaged goods company that operates as a holding company for a diverse portfolio of food and beverage brands. The company’s principal activities include the production, marketing and distribution of ready-to-eat cereal, refrigerated and frozen foods, and nutritional beverages. Through its operating segments—Post Consumer Brands, Foodservice, Refrigerated Side Dishes & Bakery, and Active Nutrition—Post Holdings delivers a broad array of products to retail grocers, convenience stores, foodservice operators and e-commerce channels.

The Post Consumer Brands segment features a variety of hot and cold cereals under names such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Shredded Wheat and Pebbles.