Stock Analysis
Hormel Foods CorporationHRL
P/E 32.76×· 5Y range 15.53–41.83×· top 3% of history
Sector: Consumer Defensive · Industry: Meat Packing Plants
AnalystsHold15 analystsP/E 32.8× sits at the 97th percentile of its 5.086926762491444-year history.
Cash covers 30% of debt · Q3 2026.
PMP Verdict
Mixed fundamentals, expensive valuation
Strengths
- Quality90
- Financial Health73
Risks
- Valuation50
- Profitability21
Mixed fundamentals at a demanding price.
Bull Case
- ✓Interest coverage 13.4× — debt well covered
What's happening with HRL
Profile
Strong earnings quality; profitability and growth lag behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation50/100 · Moderate
- P/E vs own history (97th pct)0/25
- FCF yield (6.9%)20/25
- P/S (0.9x)25/25
- EV/EBIT (25.5x)5/25
- Growth31/100 · Weak
- Revenue CAGR (1.5%)6/25
- Net income CAGR (-14.8%)0/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (-14.9%)0/25
- Fwd implied growth (151.8%)25/25
- Profitability21/100 · Weak
- ROIC (4.2%)5/25
- ROE (4.4%)5/25
- Net margin (2.8%)6/25
- Operating margin (4.3%)5/25
- Financial Health73/100 · Moderate
- Altman Z (2.99)18/25
- Current ratio (1.88)18/25
- Interest coverage (13.4x)25/25
- Net cash / debt (D/A 15%)12/25
- Quality90/100 · Strong
- Piotroski F (5/9)15/25
- Beneish M (-2.57)25/25
- FCF conversion (228%)25/25
- Margin stability (σ 2.5%)25/25
- Moat56/100 · Moderate
- ROIC >12% years (5/10 yrs)13/25
- Median gross margin (18.2%)6/25
- FCF-positive years (10/10 yrs)25/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst 4.0%)12/25
Risk Flags
- ⚠P/E 32.8× at top 3% of 5-year history
About Hormel Foods Corporation
Historically meat-focused, Hormel Foods broadened its lineup to include other protein offerings and became a branded food company. Show more
The firm sells its wares through multiple channels, including US retail (61.6% of fiscal 2025 sales), US foodservice (32.6%), and international (5.9%). By product, 73% of fiscal 2025 sales were from perishable food and 27% from shelf-stable. Major brands include Hormel, Spam, Jennie-O, Columbus, Applegate, Planters, and Skippy. Many of these hold the number one or two market share in their respective categories.
Headquarters: AUSTIN, MN · Employees: 20,000 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
50CP/E (TTM)32.8xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / TTM EPS (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 15.5x–41.8x · 97th pct
P/FCF14.4xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative
FCF Yield6.9%A
Grade A: ValueTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: 1.5%–7.4% · 99th pct
P/S (TTM)0.93xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 0.9x–2.6x · 2nd pct
EV/EBIT25.5xD
Grade D: ExpensiveEnterprise value / TTM EBIT (D&A not in our data) — capital-structure neutral — vs own 5Y history: 14.2x–28.8x · 94th pct
EV/Sales1.1xA
Grade A: CheapEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E13.0xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B Ratio1.43xA
Grade A: FairPrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio4.99D
Grade D: ExpensiveFinnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield5.75%A
Grade A: PaysTTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio120.7%D
Grade D: UnsustainableDividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Profitability
21EROIC4.2%D
Grade D: LowNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROE4.4%D
Grade D: WeakReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA2.6%D
Grade D: WeakReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin2.8%D
Grade D: LowNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin4.3%D
Grade D: LowTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin15.7%D
Grade D: LowGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin6.4%D
Grade D: LowFCF / Revenue
True FCF Margin6.2%C
Grade C: AverageTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost
Growth
31DRevenue CAGR1.5%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR-14.8%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)-14.9%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth151.8%A
Grade A: HighAnalyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)+0.5%B
Grade B: FlatShare count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income7.4%A
Grade A: LowStock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue0.2%A
Grade A: LowTTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
73B+Altman Z-Score2.99C
Grade C: Gray zoneBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio1.88xC
Grade C: OkCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio0.89xC
Grade C: Ok(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage13.4xA
Grade A: StrongEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt Repayment2.5yA
Grade A: FastYears to repay net debt via FCF
Net Debt/EBIT3.8xC
Grade C: MedLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity0.36xA
Grade A: LowDebt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt0.30xC
Grade C: PartialCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
90A+Piotroski F-Score5/9C
Grade C: AverageFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-2.57A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion227.9%A
Grade A: StrongFCF / Net Income
Margin Stability2.5%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue2.6%A
Grade A: Asset-lightTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover0.91xC
Grade C: AverageRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · 8 recordsP/S codes are the directional signal; grants, option exercises and tax withholding carry none. Form 4 doesn't flag 10b5-1 plans — scheduled sales may appear within open-market sells.
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bhumbla Ash Filed | Bhumbla Ash | Grant / award | +62.5K | |
Newlands William A Filed | Newlands William A | BuyOpen market buy | +10.0K | |
Myers Kevin L Filed | Myers Kevin L | Tax withholding | -864 | |
White Steven Andrew Filed | White Steven Andrew | Grant / award | +3.0K | |
Bhojwani Gary C. Filed | Bhojwani Gary C. | Grant / award | +3.0K |
Show 3 more filingsShow fewer filings
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Newlands William A Filed | Newlands William A | Grant / award | +7.6K | |
Policinski Christopher J. Filed | Policinski Christopher J. | Grant / award | +2.8K | |
Schoneman Debbra L. Filed | Schoneman Debbra L. | Grant / award | +1.5K |
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
56CROIC >12% Years5/10 yrsC
Grade C: ModerateShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)18.2%D
Grade D: WeakMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years10/10 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor4.0%C
Grade C: ModerateWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)$0.62
Own TTM net income / shares — same earnings basis as P/E
Cash / Share$1.58
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$14.25
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$2.86B
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$868.45M
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$1.99B
Total Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$7.86B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability2.45xA
Grade A: SolidTotal Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$11.24B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta0.27B
Grade B: DefensivePrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Jul 2026 · Ratio snapshot Oct 17, 2026
Key Insights: Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL)
HRL is up 1.04% at the last close. Piotroski F-Score of 5/9 indicates mixed fundamentals for Hormel Foods Corporation. Altman Z-Score of 2.99 sits comfortably in the safe zone (≥ 2.99), indicating low bankruptcy risk.
- Beneish M-Score of -2.57 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Takes ~2.5 years to repay net debt from free cash flow.
- The stock currently yields 5.7% in dividends.
See how HRL ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
Recent Market Moves
See all HRL moves →| Date | Session | Price | Move | Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14 | Regular | 19.68 | +2.42% | 3.01 |
| Oct 14 | After-hours | 19.80 | +3.07% | 3.69 |
Frequently Asked Questions about HRL
What is the current Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) stock price?
HRL is trading at $20.40 at the last market close, up 1.04% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks HRL pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is HRL stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Hormel Foods Corporation's financial health at 73/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is HRL stock overvalued?
Hormel Foods Corporation trades at a trailing P/E of 32.8 and our valuation score rates it 50/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Hormel Foods Corporation report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for HRL. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Hormel Foods Corporation operate in?
Hormel Foods Corporation operates in the Consumer Defensive sector, within the Meat Packing Plants industry. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Hormel Foods Corporation do?
Historically meat-focused, Hormel Foods broadened its lineup to include other protein offerings and became a branded food company.
About Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) Stock
Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) is a US-listed stock operating in the Consumer Defensive sector, specifically the Meat Packing Plants industry. As of the latest update, Hormel Foods Corporation is trading at $20.40, up 1.04% on the day with a market capitalization of $11.2 billion. The financial health score for HRL is 73/100, which indicates good financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for HRL stock.
HRL Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time HRL stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for HRL with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Hormel Foods Corporation across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 73/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for HRL.
- Sector peers: Compare HRL against 4 other consumer defensive stocks on key financial metrics.
Is HRL a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) as an investment. The financial health score of 73/100 suggests good financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) trades on NYSE/NASDAQ. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.