Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFD) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFD) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $29.3750.

SFD has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Smithfield Foods from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Smithfield Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Smithfield Foods in a research report on Monday, December 29th.

Trending Headlines about Smithfield Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting Smithfield Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and record fiscal 2025 results — Smithfield reported $0.83 EPS (vs. ~$0.67 est.), $4.23B revenue (+7% YoY), record annual operating profit of ~$1.3B and raised its outlook; management highlighted strong packaged‑meats performance and $1B+ operating cash flow. Smithfield Foods Reports Record Fiscal 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.3125 (25% increase) implying a $1.25 annualized payout and ~5.1% yield; signals strong cash generation and shareholder returns. Smithfield Foods Reports Record Fiscal 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: M&A: announced acquisition of Nathan’s Famous (~$450M) — strategic move to own an iconic brand, capture retail margin upside and accelerate earnings growth. Smithfield Foods Reports Record Fiscal 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price target raises — Morgan Stanley raised its target to $31 and put an Overweight; Bank of America reiterated Buy and lifted its target to $32, giving double‑digit upside vs. current levels and supporting further upside momentum. Benzinga Buy Rating on Smithfield Foods — TipRanks
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and investor materials — earnings call transcript, slide deck and media pieces offer detail for investors evaluating sustainability of margin gains and the FY‑2026 outlook (low‑single‑digit sales growth; adjusted operating profit guide). Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker/coverage pieces and “revisit” articles — several outlets discuss whether SFD is due for more upside after a strong one‑year gain; useful for sentiment but not new fundamental news. Is It Time To Revisit Smithfield Foods (SFD)?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest posts appear inconsistent/erroneous in filings (entries report 0 shares / NaN changes), so no clear short squeeze signal at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Cost pressure risk — commentary noting higher labor/input costs could weigh on margins going forward; investors should watch whether productivity gains offset inflationary headwinds. Labor Costs Move Higher — Zacks

Institutional Trading of Smithfield Foods

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Smithfield Foods by 45.5% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 166,250 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,706,000 after purchasing an additional 51,977 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Smithfield Foods in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,856,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Smithfield Foods by 193.6% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 219,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,900,000 after buying an additional 144,714 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Smithfield Foods by 24.0% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 43,296 shares of the company’s stock valued at $967,000 after acquiring an additional 8,386 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Smithfield Foods during the 4th quarter valued at $245,000.

Smithfield Foods Stock Up 2.1%

Smithfield Foods stock opened at $24.99 on Thursday. Smithfield Foods has a 52-week low of $18.55 and a 52-week high of $26.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.96, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $24.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $23.00.

Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 24th. The company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.19 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.52 earnings per share. Smithfield Foods’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Smithfield Foods Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.3125 per share. This is a boost from Smithfield Foods’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 7th. Smithfield Foods’s payout ratio is currently 45.05%.

Smithfield Foods Company Profile

Smithfield Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: SFD) is one of the world’s largest pork processors and hog producers. Founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, the company has grown from a regional ham producer into a fully integrated food company offering a broad range of fresh pork, value-added meats and prepared foods. Its product portfolio includes bacon, ham, sausage, ribs and deli meats marketed under well-known brands such as Smithfield®, Nathan’s Famous® and Eckrich®.

Smithfield operates a network of hog production facilities, processing plants and distribution centers across the United States, Europe and Latin America.