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IMKTAIngles Markets, IncorporatedSell5.3·$82.31-0.39%
SellModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

Ingles Markets offers an attractively valued, cash-generative grocery franchise with a strong earnings beat history, but soft revenue growth and an unfavorable risk/reward setup — with only about 5% headroom to the price target — leave the current entry with limited appeal.

Thesis pillars

  • Attractive Forward ValuationStable
  • Soft Revenue Growth CeilingDeteriorating
  • Superior Free Cash ConversionStable
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Full reasoning →

Open full analysis

Ingles Markets, Incorporated (IMKTA) Stock Analysis

Inst Constrain edge

SellValueModerate Confidence

Consumer Defensive · Grocery Stores

Sell if holding. Momentum 3.2/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $82.31 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: V7 low-quality RISK_OFF penalty: -0.5 (Q=4.6); Weak growth.

Ingles Markets, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of supermarkets in the United States. The company offers food products, such as grocery, meat, and dairy products, produce, frozen food, and other perishables; and non-food products, which include... Read more

$82.31+6.9% A.UpsideScore 5.3/10#4 of 11 Grocery Stores
QualityF-score8 / 9FCF yield8.58%
IncomeYield0.81%(5y avg 0.86%)Payout12.07%sustainable
Stop $78.23Target $88.03(resistance)A.R:R 0.0:1

Sell if holding. Momentum 3.2/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $82.31 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: V7 low-quality RISK_OFF penalty: -0.5 (Q=4.6); Weak growth. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 5.3/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 5/8 gates (clean insider activity, news events none recent, earnings proximity 81d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum. Suitability: aggressive.

news + 30-day 8-K events · 5-min refresh

Recent developments

updated 2026-09-04
TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Wed, Nov 25, 202681d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
Sector modifier (Consumer Defensive): +0.8
Strong earnings beat streak (3/4)
Attractive valuation
Risks
V7 low-quality RISK_OFF penalty: -0.5 (Q=4.6)
Weak growth
Negative momentum

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)14.9
P/E (Fwd)17.6
Mkt Cap$1.6B
EV/EBITDA8.5
Profit Mgn1.9%
ROE6.3%
Rev Growth3.4%
Beta0.59
Dividend0.81%
Rating analysts9

Quality Signals

Piotroski F8/9

Options Flow

P/C0.75neutral
IV60%elevated
Max Pain$65-21.0% vs spot

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-08-04Item 5.02MEDIUM
    On July 29, 2026, Brenda S. Tudor, a member of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of Ingles Markets, Incorporated, a North Carolina corporation (the "Company"), notified the Company of her resignation from the Board and as a member of all committees thereof on which she serves. Ms.
    SEC filing →

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

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About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

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Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

2 floor-breakers

Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static

Volume
0.0
Macd
0.9
Ma Position
2.2
Rsi
3.0
Obv
10.0
Capitulation risk (RSI 28, below 200MA)Volume accumulation (rising OBV)Below 200-MA but MA still rising (+2.6%/30d) — pullback in uptrend, not confirmed weakness

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

Revenue Growth
3.4
Low model confidence on this dimension (33%).
GatesMomentum 3.2<4.5A.R:R UPSIDE_EXHAUSTED (upside=0.0%)Executive change: officer departure/appointmentInsider activity: OKNEWS EVENTS NONE RECENTEARNINGS PROXIMITY 81d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Aggressive
RSI
28 · Oversold
20D MA 50D MA 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $80.17Resistance $89.83

Price Targets

$78
$88
A.R:R0.0:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeRisk-Off

Risk Alerts

! momentum at 3.2 (below the engine's 4.5 threshold)

Earnings

B
B
B
M
3/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-11-25 (81d)

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 IMKTA stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Momentum 3.2/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $82.31 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: V7 low-quality RISK_OFF penalty: -0.5 (Q=4.6); Weak growth. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $78.23. Score 5.3/10, moderate confidence.

What is the IMKTA stock price target?

Take-profit target: $88.03 (+6.9% upside). Prior stop was $78.23. Stop-loss: $78.23.

What are the risks of investing in IMKTA?

V7 low-quality RISK_OFF penalty: -0.5 (Q=4.6); Weak growth; Negative momentum.

Is IMKTA overvalued or undervalued?

Ingles Markets, Incorporated trades at a P/E of 14.9 (forward 17.6). TrendMatrix value score: 7.6/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about IMKTA?

9 analysts cover IMKTA with a consensus score of 4.2/5.

What does Ingles Markets, Incorporated do?Ingles Markets, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of supermarkets in the United States....

Ingles Markets, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of supermarkets in the United States. The company offers food products, such as grocery, meat, and dairy products, produce, frozen food, and other perishables; and non-food products, which include fuel centers, pharmacies, health and beauty care products, and general merchandise, as well as private label items, organic, and locally sourced items. It also owns and operates a milk processing and packaging plant that supplies organic milk, fruit juices, and bottled water products to other retailers, food service distributors, and grocery warehouses. In addition, the company provides home meal replacement items, delicatessens, bakeries, floral departments, and greeting cards, as well as broad selections of local organic, beverage, and health-related items. It operates under the Ingles and Sav-Mor brand names. Ingles Markets, Incorporated was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina.

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