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U.K. (FTSE) Food Industry Analysis

UpdatedApr 14, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies18
  • 7D0.5%
  • 3M3.0%
  • 1Y-2.0%
  • YTD-4.2%

Last week, the Food industry hasn't moved much but Premier Foods is up 4.2% in that time. Furthermore, the industry has been flat for the past year as well. Looking forward, earnings are forecast to grow by 9.6% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

Has the U.K. Food Industry valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Tue, 14 Apr 2026UK£25.5bUK£36.8bUK£1.8b12.9x14x0.7x
Thu, 12 Mar 2026UK£25.1bUK£36.7bUK£1.8b12.7x13.9x0.7x
Sat, 07 Feb 2026UK£26.4bUK£36.7bUK£1.8b13.3x14.7x0.7x
Mon, 05 Jan 2026UK£27.2bUK£39.1bUK£1.8b16.3x14.7x0.7x
Wed, 03 Dec 2025UK£27.2bUK£38.9bUK£1.8b14.7x15.1x0.7x
Fri, 31 Oct 2025UK£27.5bUK£38.8bUK£2.1b14.9x13.3x0.7x
Sun, 28 Sep 2025UK£25.8bUK£38.7bUK£2.1b15.1x12.4x0.7x
Tue, 26 Aug 2025UK£28.9bUK£38.5bUK£2.1b19.2x14x0.8x
Thu, 24 Jul 2025UK£28.4bUK£38.5bUK£2.0b19.1x14.2x0.7x
Sat, 21 Jun 2025UK£26.8bUK£38.5bUK£2.0b17.8x13.4x0.7x
Mon, 19 May 2025UK£27.2bUK£38.5bUK£2.2b15.1x12.3x0.7x
Wed, 16 Apr 2025UK£26.4bUK£38.4bUK£2.2b15.4x12.3x0.7x
Fri, 14 Mar 2025UK£24.3bUK£38.2bUK£2.1b14.7x11.3x0.6x
Sun, 09 Feb 2025UK£25.2bUK£38.2bUK£2.2b12.7x11.7x0.7x
Tue, 07 Jan 2025UK£26.6bUK£38.2bUK£2.2b13x12.3x0.7x
Thu, 05 Dec 2024UK£29.0bUK£38.3bUK£2.2b13.1x13.3x0.8x
Sat, 02 Nov 2024UK£28.5bUK£38.2bUK£1.9b14.2x15.1x0.7x
Mon, 30 Sep 2024UK£28.5bUK£38.2bUK£1.9b14.3x15x0.7x
Wed, 28 Aug 2024UK£29.6bUK£38.3bUK£1.9b14.3x15.8x0.8x
Fri, 26 Jul 2024UK£31.0bUK£41.9bUK£2.4b14.4x13.1x0.7x
Sun, 23 Jun 2024UK£30.8bUK£41.8bUK£2.3b14.3x13.1x0.7x
Tue, 21 May 2024UK£32.7bUK£41.8bUK£2.4b14.7x13.8x0.8x
Thu, 18 Apr 2024UK£29.4bUK£41.3bUK£2.3b15.5x12.9x0.7x
Sat, 16 Mar 2024UK£27.1bUK£38.3bUK£1.8b14.2x15.5x0.7x
Mon, 12 Feb 2024UK£27.1bUK£40.9bUK£2.2b15.1x12.5x0.7x
Wed, 10 Jan 2024UK£29.0bUK£41.8bUK£2.2b15.5x13.1x0.7x
Fri, 08 Dec 2023UK£29.7bUK£41.8bUK£2.2b15.8x13.5x0.7x
Sun, 05 Nov 2023UK£26.5bUK£40.2bUK£1.4b19.3x19.5x0.7x
Tue, 03 Oct 2023UK£26.3bUK£40.2bUK£1.3b18.5x19.5x0.7x
Thu, 31 Aug 2023UK£25.8bUK£39.8bUK£1.4b14x18.7x0.6x
Sat, 29 Jul 2023UK£26.8bUK£40.1bUK£1.3b14.2x20.4x0.7x
Mon, 26 Jun 2023UK£25.4bUK£40.5bUK£1.3b13.6x19.7x0.6x
Wed, 24 May 2023UK£25.4bUK£40.0bUK£1.2b13.7x20.6x0.6x
Fri, 21 Apr 2023UK£26.6bUK£38.0bUK£1.1b13.9x25x0.7x
Price to Earnings Ratio

25x


Total Market Cap: UK£26.6bTotal Earnings: UK£1.1bTotal Revenue: UK£38.0bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.K. Food Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 14.8x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are relatively neutral on the British Food industry at the moment, indicating that they anticipate long term growth rates to remain steady.
  • The industry is trading close to its 3-year average PE ratio of 14.8x.
  • The industry is trading close to its 3-year average PS ratio of 0.70x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Food industry have grown 20% per year over the last three years, while revenues have remained mostly flat.
  • This means that companies overall are more efficiently conducting business since profits are increasing while sales have been flat.

Industry Trends

Which industries have driven the changes within the U.K. Consumer Staples industry?

GB Market1.71%
Consumer Staples0.80%
Food0.51%
Agricultural Products4.52%
Packaged Foods and Meats0.20%
Industry PE
  • Investors are most optimistic about the Packaged Foods and Meats industry, which is trading close to its 3-year average PE ratio of 16.2x.
    • Analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 10.7%, which is lower than the prior year's growth of 22.6% per year.
  • Investors are most pessimistic about the Agricultural Products industry, although it looks like investor sentiment has improved given that it's trading above its 3-year average of 9.7x.
Forecasted Growth
  • Analysts are most optimistic on the Packaged Foods and Meats industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 11% over the next 5 years.
  • However this is lower than its past earnings growth rate of 23% per year.
  • In contrast, the Agricultural Products industry is expected to see its earnings decline by 5.9% per year over the next few years.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
PFD Premier FoodsUK£1.944.2%
+UK£67.2m		1.0%PE12.7x
MPE M.P. Evans GroupUK£15.865.0%
+UK£39.5m		59.6%PE10x
AEP AEP PlantationsUK£18.884.9%
+UK£33.8m		156.5%PE11.1x
CWK CranswickUK£53.101.1%
+UK£32.1m		8.0%PE19.2x
PRN Princes GroupUK£3.791.7%
+UK£15.4m		n/an/a

Latest News

HFG
UK£5.18
Hilton Food Group
7D
-2.1%
1Y
-39.8%

HFG: Rebased Expectations And Leadership Transition Will Support Future Share Price Upside

Hilton Food Group’s analyst fair value estimate has moved from £6.89 to £7.39, as analysts factor in updated expectations on growth, margins and future P/E following recent mixed price target changes from Berenberg and Deutsche Bank. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on Hilton Food Group has included both price target raises and cuts, which helps explain the recalibration of fair value estimates as analysts reassess growth, margins and future P/E expectations.
MPE
UK£15.86
M.P. Evans Group
7D
5.0%
1Y
59.6%

MPE: Progressive Dividend Track Record Will Support Measured Future Returns

Analysts have lifted their price target on M.P. Evans Group to £16.66, citing an updated view on fair value, discount rate, revenue trends, profit margins and future P/E assumptions that together support a slightly higher valuation framework. What's in the News The board is recommending a final dividend of 42 pence per share for the year ended 31 December 2025, compared with 37.5 pence per share a year earlier, as part of its stated progressive dividend policy (Key Developments).
GNC
UK£2.46
Greencore Group
7D
0.7%
1Y
39.0%

GNC: Execution Progress And New Partnerships Are Expected To Unlock Future Upside

Analysts have lifted their price target for Greencore Group to £2.93, citing supportive Street research that presents a constructive view on the shares and underpins this updated narrative. Analyst Commentary Bullish Takeaways Bullish analysts view the refreshed price target of £2.93 as consistent with a more constructive stance on execution, arguing that current valuation reflects a measured outlook on the business rather than aggressive expectations.
RE.
UK£1.18
R.E.A. Holdings
7D
5.4%
1Y
76.8%
TATE
UK£3.49
Tate & Lyle
7D
-1.0%
1Y
-30.7%

TATE: Future Earnings Profile Will Reflect Cautious Assumptions And Limited Upside Potential

Analysts have trimmed their price target on Tate & Lyle to £5.00 from £5.40, citing updated assumptions on the discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E multiples. Analyst Commentary The cut in the price target to £5.00 from £5.40 signals that some expectations around Tate & Lyle's future performance and valuation have been reined in.
ABF
UK£18.82
Associated British Foods
7D
-0.4%
1Y
-9.2%

ABF: Margin Reset And Primark Stabilisation Will Support Future Share Upside

The analyst fair value estimate for Associated British Foods has edged up from £22.40 to £22.50 as analysts factor in recent price target cuts, citing weaker Primark sales trends, concerns about a margin reset, and softer sugar pricing, despite only modest tweaks to underlying growth and margin assumptions. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research has turned more cautious on Associated British Foods, with several price target cuts and rating downgrades clustering around concerns on Primark, margins and sugar pricing.
AEP
UK£18.88
AEP Plantations
7D
4.9%
1Y
156.5%
CWK
UK£53.10
Cranswick
7D
1.1%
1Y
8.0%
PRN
UK£3.79
Princes Group
7D
1.7%
1Y
n/a
PFD
UK£1.94
Premier Foods
7D
4.2%
1Y
1.0%
MHPC
US$8.08
MHP
7D
0.5%
1Y
57.2%

MHP SE's (LON:MHPC) Share Price Boosted 26% But Its Business Prospects Need A Lift Too

Jan 29
MHP SE's (LON:MHPC) Share Price Boosted 26% But Its Business Prospects Need A Lift Too