Post (NYSE:POST – Get Free Report) is one of 328 public companies in the “Food Products” industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Post to similar companies based on the strength of its risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, dividends and analyst recommendations.
Profitability
This table compares Post and its competitors’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Post | 3.48% | 13.22% | 3.42% |
| Post Competitors | -12.78% | -127.73% | -2.01% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Post and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Net Income | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Post | $8.16 billion | $335.70 million | 15.30 |
| Post Competitors | $6.88 billion | $703.44 million | -2,425.84 |
Post has higher revenue, but lower earnings than its competitors. Post is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Post and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Post | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2.33 |
| Post Competitors | 2449 | 8300 | 8375 | 404 | 2.34 |
Post presently has a consensus target price of $103.43, indicating a potential upside of 24.27%. As a group, “Food Products” companies have a potential upside of 17.81%. Given Post’s higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Post is more favorable than its competitors.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
94.8% of Post shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.0% of shares of all “Food Products” companies are owned by institutional investors. 14.1% of Post shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 19.0% of shares of all “Food Products” companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Risk and Volatility
Post has a beta of 0.42, meaning that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Post’s competitors have a beta of -3.81, meaning that their average stock price is 481% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Post beats its competitors on 9 of the 13 factors compared.
About Post
Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals under Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Malt-O-Meal brand names; hot cereal; peanut butter under the Peter Pan brand; and branded and private label dog and cat food products under Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Gravy Train brand names. The Weetabix segment primarily manufactures, markets, and distributes branded and private label RTE cereal under Weetabix and Alpen brands; hot cereals and other cereal-based food products; breakfast drinks; protein-based shakes under the UFIT brand, and nutritional snacks, such as muesli. The Foodservice segment produces and distributes egg products primarily under Papetti's and Abbotsford Farms brands, as well as potato products in the foodservice and food ingredient channels. The segment also manufactures certain meat products. The Refrigerated Retail segment produces and distributes side dish, potato, sausage products under Bob Evans, Bob Evans Farms, and Simply Potatoes brands; eggs and egg products under Bob Evans Egg Whites and Egg Beaters brands; and cheese, and other dairy and refrigerated products under Crystal Farms brand. It serves grocery stores, mass merchandise customers, supercenters, club stores, natural/specialty stores, dollar stores, discounters, wholesalers, convenience stores, pet supply retailers, drug store customers, foodservice distributors, and national restaurant chains, as well as sells its products in the military, ecommerce, and foodservice channels. The company was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.
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