Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) Share Price Crosses Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Posted by Francis Steltz on Oct 31st, 2026

Shares of Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL – Get Free Report) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $20.86 and traded as high as $20.95. Hormel Foods shares last traded at $20.8740, with a volume of 2,725,459 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $28.00 price objective (down from $30.00) on shares of Hormel Foods in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Stephens set a $23.00 price target on Hormel Foods in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Hormel Foods in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Hormel Foods from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $23.00 price objective (down from $26.00) on shares of Hormel Foods in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hormel Foods presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $25.43.

Get Our Latest Analysis on HRL

Hormel Foods Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $11.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.30. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $20.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $22.86.

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.02. Hormel Foods had a return on equity of 9.91% and a net margin of 2.82%. The company had revenue of $2.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.35 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Hormel Foods Corporation will post 1.48 EPS for the current year.

Hormel Foods Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a $0.2925 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $1.17 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. Hormel Foods’s payout ratio is currently 185.71%.

Insider Transactions at Hormel Foods

In related news, Chairman William A. Newlands bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $20.10 per share, for a total transaction of $201,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chairman owned 76,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,137.50. This represents a 15.07% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hormel Foods

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HRL. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Hormel Foods in the 3rd quarter worth $92,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Hormel Foods by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. now owns 33,387 shares of the company’s stock valued at $663,000 after buying an additional 2,466 shares in the last quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hormel Foods by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 31,043 shares of the company’s stock valued at $619,000 after acquiring an additional 2,993 shares during the last quarter. Associated Banc Corp bought a new position in shares of Hormel Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $199,000. Finally, First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Hormel Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $10,987,000. Institutional investors own 40.99% of the company’s stock.

Hormel Foods Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) is a global food company headquartered in Austin, Minnesota. Founded in 1891 by George A. Hormel, the company began as a meat-processing business and has expanded into a broad portfolio of branded food products sold through retail, foodservice and international channels.

Its products include refrigerated and shelf-stable meats, meals, snacks and other prepared foods. Hormel Foods markets products under well-known brands such as Hormel, SPAM, Jennie-O, Applegate, Columbus, Skippy and Planters, although its brand portfolio and business operations may evolve over time.