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U.S. Food Industry Analysis

UpdatedApr 15, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies144
  • 7D-1.8%
  • 3M-1.5%
  • 1Y-8.8%
  • YTD3.2%

Over the last 7 days, the Food industry has dropped 2.8%, driven by pullbacks in Hershey and Archer-Daniels-Midland of 4.5% and 4.6%, respectively. In contrast, McCormick has gained 5.5%. The industry has fallen 10% in the last year. Looking forward, earnings are forecast to grow by 19% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

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

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Wed, 15 Apr 2026US$404.4bUS$557.8bUS$9.9b21.3x40.7x0.7x
Fri, 13 Mar 2026US$408.8bUS$556.5bUS$10.0b22.6x40.7x0.7x
Sun, 08 Feb 2026US$435.5bUS$559.3bUS$11.5b23.1x38x0.8x
Tue, 06 Jan 2026US$383.1bUS$555.9bUS$14.5b19.7x26.5x0.7x
Thu, 04 Dec 2025US$425.2bUS$569.1bUS$17.3b20.5x24.6x0.7x
Sat, 01 Nov 2025US$418.4bUS$558.6bUS$17.8b17.8x23.6x0.7x
Mon, 29 Sep 2025US$438.8bUS$553.4bUS$16.5b18.1x26.6x0.8x
Wed, 27 Aug 2025US$453.0bUS$554.6bUS$16.2b21x27.9x0.8x
Fri, 25 Jul 2025US$465.5bUS$548.7bUS$24.2b19.8x19.3x0.8x
Sun, 22 Jun 2025US$444.5bUS$548.3bUS$23.4b19.3x19x0.8x
Tue, 20 May 2025US$435.1bUS$468.1bUS$22.5b19.2x19.3x0.9x
Thu, 17 Apr 2025US$442.8bUS$472.3bUS$24.9b16.9x17.8x0.9x
Sat, 15 Mar 2025US$440.0bUS$471.8bUS$24.4b17.1x18.1x0.9x
Mon, 10 Feb 2025US$432.8bUS$476.0bUS$24.0b19.2x18x0.9x
Wed, 08 Jan 2025US$436.1bUS$464.4bUS$21.6b20x20.2x0.9x
Fri, 06 Dec 2024US$464.6bUS$464.4bUS$21.6b21.1x21.5x1x
Sun, 03 Nov 2024US$472.1bUS$460.7bUS$21.8b17.8x21.6x1x
Tue, 01 Oct 2024US$497.8bUS$462.2bUS$22.2b18.7x22.4x1.1x
Thu, 29 Aug 2024US$490.3bUS$461.0bUS$22.4b20.1x21.9x1.1x
Sat, 27 Jul 2024US$466.0bUS$467.0bUS$23.7b18.9x19.7x1x
Mon, 24 Jun 2024US$460.3bUS$473.7bUS$25.1b14.8x18.3x1x
Wed, 22 May 2024US$489.8bUS$474.1bUS$24.3b17.9x20.1x1x
Fri, 19 Apr 2024US$471.0bUS$472.7bUS$24.8b16.7x19x1x
Sun, 17 Mar 2024US$472.5bUS$473.1bUS$24.5b15.2x19.3x1x
Tue, 13 Feb 2024US$470.6bUS$479.3bUS$25.2b14.8x18.7x1x
Thu, 11 Jan 2024US$500.7bUS$490.0bUS$25.4b16x19.7x1x
Sat, 09 Dec 2023US$492.3bUS$490.0bUS$25.5b16.4x19.3x1x
Mon, 06 Nov 2023US$473.3bUS$490.0bUS$26.4b16.2x17.9x1x
Wed, 04 Oct 2023US$483.9bUS$494.0bUS$26.1b18.2x18.5x1x
Fri, 01 Sep 2023US$514.0bUS$491.0bUS$26.4b16x19.5x1x
Sun, 30 Jul 2023US$547.4bUS$493.7bUS$26.3b17.5x20.8x1.1x
Tue, 27 Jun 2023US$547.2bUS$499.3bUS$26.7b17.2x20.5x1.1x
Thu, 25 May 2023US$559.7bUS$499.2bUS$27.6b18.3x20.2x1.1x
Sat, 22 Apr 2023US$565.1bUS$495.6bUS$28.2b18.6x20x1.1x
Price to Earnings Ratio

20x


Total Market Cap: US$565.1bTotal Earnings: US$28.2bTotal Revenue: US$495.6bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.S. Food Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 22.2x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are optimistic on the American Food industry, and appear confident in long term growth rates.
  • The industry is trading at a PE ratio of 41.3x which is higher than its 3-year average PE of 22.2x.
  • The industry is trading close to its 3-year average PS ratio of 0.94x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Food industry have declined 29% per year over the last three years.
  • Meanwhile revenues for these companies have grown 4.0% per year.
  • This means that although more sales are being generated, either the cost of doing business or the level of investment back into businesses has increased, which has decreased profits.

Industry Trends

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

US Market4.44%
Consumer Staples0.41%
Food-1.80%
Packaged Foods and Meats-1.20%
Agricultural Products-4.06%
Industry PE
  • Investors are most optimistic about the Packaged Foods and Meats industry which is trading above its 3-year average PE ratio of 24.4x.
    • Analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 17.6%, which is higher than its past year's earnings decline of 6.9% 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 14.9x.
Forecasted Growth
  • Analysts are most optimistic on the Agricultural Products industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 24% over the next 5 years.
  • This is better than its past earnings decline of 32% per year.
  • In contrast, the Packaged Foods and Meats industry is expected to see its earnings grow by 18% 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
MKC McCormickUS$53.845.5%
+US$758.1m		-28.5%PE8.8x
JBS JBSUS$18.073.0%
+US$556.9m		n/aPE9.6x
LW Lamb Weston HoldingsUS$43.737.8%
+US$434.9m		-20.0%PE20.1x
MDLZ Mondelez InternationalUS$57.840.6%
+US$423.5m		-13.7%PE30.3x
FRPT FreshpetUS$69.119.6%
+US$297.8m		-12.8%PE24.4x

Latest News

SFD
US$28.80
Smithfield Foods
7D
1.5%
1Y
44.7%
KHC
US$22.11
Kraft Heinz
7D
-4.6%
1Y
-24.8%

Kraft Heinz Vs. Mondelez: Same Roots, Diverging Trajectories

Apr 14
MDLZ
US$57.84
Mondelez International
7D
0.6%
1Y
-13.7%

Mondelez: Durable Snacking With Volume And Price Tailwinds Entering FY2026 - Reiterate Buy

Apr 14
CAG
US$14.28
Conagra Brands
7D
-7.8%
1Y
-44.1%
OTLY
US$12.69
Oatly Group
7D
23.1%
1Y
46.7%
HRL
US$20.76
Hormel Foods
7D
-3.2%
1Y
-31.7%

HRL: 2026 Guidance And AI Rollout Will Drive Upside Potential

Analysts trimmed their price target on Hormel Foods to $27.00 from $27.63, reflecting slightly softer revenue growth assumptions and a modestly lower future P/E multiple, partly offset by a small improvement in projected profit margins. Analyst Commentary Recent research on Hormel Foods points to a more cautious stance, with the latest JPMorgan downgrade and the trimmed price target signaling mixed confidence in how the current valuation lines up with execution and profit expectations.
MKC
US$53.84
McCormick
7D
5.5%
1Y
-28.5%
TSN
US$64.96
Tyson Foods
7D
1.2%
1Y
6.5%

Tyson Foods: Pivoting Beyond Cyclicality Into Structural Growth

Apr 11
BG
US$122.33
Bunge Global
7D
-3.7%
1Y
60.5%

BG: Buybacks And Stable Assumptions Will Support Steady Fair Value Outlook

Analysts have lifted their price target for Bunge Global from $132.50 to $135.00, citing updated assumptions around fair value, discount rate, revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E that support a slightly higher valuation framework. What's in the News Bunge Global SA announced a quarterly dividend of US$0.72 per share, payable on June 1, 2026, with an ex dividend and record date of May 22, 2026 (Key Developments).
DAR
US$59.60
Darling Ingredients
7D
-6.2%
1Y
102.0%
JBS
US$18.07
JBS
7D
3.0%
1Y
n/a

JBS: Shares Rise 26% This Year, But The Main Trigger Is Yet To Come

Apr 10
LW
US$43.73
Lamb Weston Holdings
7D
7.8%
1Y
-20.0%
HSY
US$197.68
Hershey
7D
-4.5%
1Y
17.7%
GIS
US$34.70
General Mills
7D
-5.7%
1Y
-40.0%

GIS: Promotional Reset And Clean Label Shift Will Support Gradual Category Recovery

Analysts have trimmed the General Mills fair value estimate by about $0.63 to $40.89. This reflects a series of reduced price targets in recent research that highlight softer volume trends, higher promotional intensity, and an extended timeline for any potential recovery in key categories like cereal, pet food, and snacks.
ADM
US$68.84
Archer-Daniels-Midland
7D
-4.6%
1Y
49.4%

Nutrition Expansion And Decarbonization Efforts Will Support A Stronger Long Term Outlook

Catalysts About Archer-Daniels-Midland Archer-Daniels-Midland is a global agricultural and nutrition company that processes crops and supplies ingredients, feed and biofuels to food, beverage, animal nutrition and industrial customers. What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?
FRPT
US$69.11
Freshpet
7D
9.6%
1Y
-12.8%

FRPT: Manufacturing Moat And Competition Risks Will Shape Future Performance

Analysts have reduced the blended price target for Freshpet by about $7 to roughly $62, reflecting updated assumptions for a lower future P/E multiple, along with slightly higher modeled revenue growth and profit margins. Analyst Commentary Recent research on Freshpet reflects a mixed backdrop, with several firms taking a more cautious tone even as others highlight long term potential.