Where it trades today
trading 16% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- The key question is whether steady demand and pricing discipline can protect margins even if growth stays modest.
- HRL trades at 33.6x earnings, well above the consumer defensive average of 21.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- Recent realized volatility is running around 36.7%, above the sector norm of 18.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- HRL remains in a bearish short-term trend and sits 21.7% below its high, which raises the bar for any thesis that depends on fast multiple expansion.
Portfolio Use Case
- HRL is more relevant for investors who want some income support alongside price appreciation, not just pure growth exposure.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in HRL.
- A recovery in price alone would not be enough to improve the view; the thesis needs confirmation from improving business or valuation signals.
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for HRL come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Consumer Defensive so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as PG, KO, PEP.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for HRL. Last refresh: Sep 18, 2026, 10:57 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as PG, KO, PEP.
What Hormel Foods does
Hormel Foods Corporation develops, processes, and distributes various meat, nut, and other food products to foodservice, convenience stores, and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail, Foodservice, and International. The company provides perishable products, including fresh meats, frozen items, refrigerated meal solutions, bacon, sausages, hams, guacamole, and other items that require refrigeration, as well as shelf-stable products, such as canned luncheon meats, nut butters, snack nuts, chili, shelf-stable microwaveable meals, hash, stews, tortillas, salsas, tortilla chips, and other items that do not require refrigeration.…
What analysts expect
HRL carries a hold consensus from 8 analysts, with an average price target of $26.13 versus $20.83 today (+25.4%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
HRL generated $12.15B in trailing revenue (-2.4% year over year), with a 2.8% net margin, and $621.55M of free cash flow, against $1.99B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12.11B | $1.89B | $895.19M | $478.20M | $0.87 | $534.35M |
| 2024 | $11.92B | $2.02B | $1.02B | $805.04M | $1.47 | $1.01B |
| 2023 | $12.11B | $2.00B | $1.06B | $793.57M | $1.45 | $777.64M |
| 2022 | $12.46B | $2.16B | $1.29B | $999.99M | $1.84 | $856.06M |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in consumer defensive
Stable sector with essential products like food, beverages, and household goods.
The companies it competes with
HRL beside the consumer defensive names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Hormel Foods trades at $20.83, 21.7% below its 52-week high. With a beta of 0.32, it shows less sensitivity to what the wider market does.
Questions people ask about it
Is HRL a good buy right now?
Hormel Foods trades at 33.6x earnings. This is above market average, reflecting growth expectations. Current risk level is High based on 36.7% volatility.
Does HRL pay dividends?
Yes, Hormel Foods offers a dividend yield of 5.64%. That is roughly $1.17 per share a year.
How volatile is HRL?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 36.7% and beta of 0.32, HRL is classified as High risk. The stock tends to be more stable than the market average.
What is the analyst price target for HRL?
The average analyst price target for Hormel Foods (HRL) is $26.13 based on 8 analyst estimates, about 25.4% above the current price of $20.83. The published range runs from $23.00 to $30.00.
How much revenue does HRL generate?
Hormel Foods reported $12.15B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at -2.4% year over year. Net margin sits at 2.8%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.