Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

Zacks Research lowered shares of Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on CAG. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Conagra Brands from $22.00 to $20.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Conagra Brands in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Conagra Brands currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $19.00.

Conagra Brands Trading Down 4.5%

Shares of Conagra Brands stock opened at $16.09 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -73.12 and a beta of -0.01. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $17.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $18.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. Conagra Brands has a twelve month low of $16.08 and a twelve month high of $28.51.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.01. Conagra Brands had a positive return on equity of 10.59% and a negative net margin of 0.87%.The company had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Conagra Brands has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.700-1.85 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Conagra Brands will post 2.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Conagra Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 27th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 27th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.7%. Conagra Brands’s dividend payout ratio is -636.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Conagra Brands news, SVP Melissa C. Napier sold 13,011 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.19, for a total value of $223,659.09. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Conagra Brands

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAG. Quaker Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Conagra Brands by 202.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,427 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Conagra Brands during the second quarter worth $26,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of Conagra Brands during the second quarter valued at $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in shares of Conagra Brands by 844.4% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,596 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,427 shares during the period. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Conagra Brands by 522.1% during the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 1,636 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,373 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.75% of the company’s stock.

About Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands, Inc is a leading packaged foods company based in Chicago, Illinois, with a broad portfolio of shelf-stable, frozen and refrigerated foods marketed under familiar brands. The company develops, produces and distributes a wide range of consumer food products, serving both retail grocery and foodservice channels. Conagra’s product lineup includes frozen entrees, snacks, condiments, baking goods and desserts, providing convenient meal solutions for consumers across North America and select international markets.

Among its well-known brands are Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Marie Callender’s and Banquet in the frozen foods category, as well as Hunt’s sauces, Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, Slim Jim meat snacks and Reddi-wip toppings.