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Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) Stock Analysis

Recovery setup

SellModerate Confidence

Consumer Defensive · Packaged Foods

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $21.34: Quality below floor (4.0 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.2/10 and A.R:R 1.8:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 2.06; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum.

Hormel Foods is a global branded food company with $12B+ annual revenue selling products under SPAM, Planters, Skippy, Jennie-O, and 30+ other brands through Retail, Foodservice, and International segments. Revenue comes from branded food product sales to grocery retailers, mass... Read more

$21.34+9.0% A.UpsideScore 4.2/10#25 of 26 Packaged Foods
Stop $20.43Target $23.27(analyst − 13%)A.R:R 1.8:1
Analyst target$26.75+25.4%8 analysts
$23.27our TP
$21.34price
$26.75mean
$30

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $21.34: Quality below floor (4.0 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.2/10 and A.R:R 1.8:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 2.06; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 62. Score 4.2/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 6/8 gates (favorable risk/reward ratio, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, earnings proximity 28d clear, semi cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and death cross (50MA < 200MA). Suitability: moderate.

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Quality below floor (4.0 < 4.0)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)23.4
P/E (Fwd)13.3
Mkt Cap$11.5B
EV/EBITDA9.2
Profit Mgn4.0%
ROE6.1%
Rev Growth-2.9%
Beta0.36
Dividend5.61%
Rating analysts15

Quality Signals

Piotroski F4/9

Options Flow

P/C2.06bearish
IV48%normal
Max Pain$12-43.8% vs spot

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • MEDIUMCustomerWalmart16%
    10-K Item 1A: 'Sales to the Company's largest customer, Walmart, accounted for approximately 16 percent of consolidated gross sales less returns and allowances during fiscal 2025'
  • MEDIUMCustomertop five customers38%
    10-K Item 1A: 'The Company's top five customers collectively represented approximately 38 percent of consolidated gross sales less returns and allowances during fiscal 2025'

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-02-13Item 5.02MEDIUM
    Separation Agreement finalized with former CFO Jacinth Smiley (departed Oct 26, 2025). Provides ~$2.775M in three cash payments plus long-term incentive plan eligibility in exchange for release of claims.
    SEC filing →
  • 2026-02-02Item 5.02LOW
    Stockholders approved Hormel Foods 2026 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan at Jan 27, 2026 Annual Meeting, succeeding the 2018 Plan. Routine compensatory arrangement; no officer departures.
    SEC filing →

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

3 floor-breakers

Revenue shrinking — -2.9% YoY. Growth thesis broken unless recovery story develops.static

Earnings Growth
1.0
Revenue Growth
1.8
Declining revenue: -3%

Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static

Growth Rank
2.3
Value Rank
2.4
Quality Rank
3.0

Momentum below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Volume
0.0
Obv
1.0
Rsi
3.8
Ma Position
4.0
Macd
7.9
Volume distribution (falling OBV)Below 200-MA, MA slope -4.6%/30d — confirmed downtrend
GatesMomentum 3.3<4.5Death cross (50MA < 200MA)A.R:R 1.8 ≥ 1.5Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsNEWS EVENTS NONE RECENTEARNINGS PROXIMITY 28d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARRecoverySuitability: Moderate
RSI
62 · Neutral
20D MA 50D MA 200D MADEATH CROSSSupport $20.32Resistance $22.02

Price Targets

$20
$23
A.Upside+9.0%
A.R:R1.8:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Quality below floor (4.0 < 4.0)
! Momentum score 3.3/10 — below 4.5 minimum
! Death cross — 50-day MA below 200-day MA

Earnings

B
B
M
M
2/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-05-28 (28d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HRL stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $21.34: Quality below floor (4.0 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.2/10 and A.R:R 1.8:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 2.06; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 62. Prior stop was $20.43. Score 4.2/10, moderate confidence.

What is the HRL stock price target?

Take-profit target: $23.27 (+9.0% upside). Prior stop was $20.43. Stop-loss: $20.43.

What are the risks of investing in HRL?

Quality below floor (4.0 < 4.0).

Is HRL overvalued or undervalued?

Hormel Foods Corporation trades at a P/E of 23.4 (forward 13.3). TrendMatrix value score: 6.8/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about HRL?

15 analysts cover HRL with a consensus score of 3.5/5. Average price target: $27.

What does Hormel Foods Corporation do?Hormel Foods is a global branded food company with $12B+ annual revenue selling products under SPAM, Planters, Skippy,...

Hormel Foods is a global branded food company with $12B+ annual revenue selling products under SPAM, Planters, Skippy, Jennie-O, and 30+ other brands through Retail, Foodservice, and International segments. Revenue comes from branded food product sales to grocery retailers, mass merchandisers, foodservice operators, and international markets.

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