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U.S. Food Industry Analysis

UpdatedAug 11, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies134
  • 7D-0.07%
  • 3M-0.1%
  • 1Y-3.4%
  • YTD4.4%

Over the last 7 days, the Food industry has remained flat, although notably Bunge Global gained 6.9%. Unfortunately though, the industry is down 3.4% over the past 12 months. Looking forward, earnings are forecast to grow by 20% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

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

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Tue, 11 Aug 2026US$410.4bUS$585.5bUS$11.7b17.8x35.2x0.7x
Thu, 09 Jul 2026US$399.5bUS$571.6bUS$9.1b16.6x43.9x0.7x
Sat, 06 Jun 2026US$397.1bUS$571.3bUS$10.2b17.9x38.7x0.7x
Mon, 04 May 2026US$409.4bUS$568.6bUS$10.1b20.2x40.5x0.7x
Wed, 01 Apr 2026US$412.2bUS$558.5bUS$10.6b20.7x38.8x0.7x
Fri, 27 Feb 2026US$432.0bUS$556.7bUS$9.9b24.5x43.8x0.8x
Sun, 25 Jan 2026US$413.0bUS$556.0bUS$14.4b21x28.7x0.7x
Tue, 23 Dec 2025US$394.0bUS$557.5bUS$14.5b19.8x27.1x0.7x
Thu, 20 Nov 2025US$422.9bUS$573.5bUS$17.2b19.2x24.7x0.7x
Sat, 18 Oct 2025US$434.4bUS$551.9bUS$16.3b17.9x26.7x0.8x
Mon, 15 Sep 2025US$442.8bUS$556.1bUS$16.2b18.8x27.4x0.8x
Wed, 13 Aug 2025US$446.8bUS$551.6bUS$16.1b20.7x27.7x0.8x
Fri, 11 Jul 2025US$447.2bUS$548.0bUS$23.2b19.9x19.3x0.8x
Sun, 08 Jun 2025US$429.3bUS$468.3bUS$22.4b20.3x19.1x0.9x
Tue, 06 May 2025US$438.3bUS$471.8bUS$23.3b19x18.8x0.9x
Thu, 03 Apr 2025US$454.1bUS$471.5bUS$24.7b17.6x18.4x1x
Sat, 01 Mar 2025US$446.0bUS$476.0bUS$24.8b18x18x0.9x
Mon, 27 Jan 2025US$428.2bUS$464.3bUS$21.8b20.1x19.6x0.9x
Wed, 25 Dec 2024US$446.2bUS$464.4bUS$21.6b20.3x20.7x1x
Fri, 22 Nov 2024US$462.4bUS$459.1bUS$21.4b19.4x21.6x1x
Sun, 20 Oct 2024US$488.5bUS$462.1bUS$22.6b18.3x21.6x1.1x
Tue, 17 Sep 2024US$499.1bUS$461.6bUS$22.3b19.4x22.4x1.1x
Thu, 15 Aug 2024US$480.7bUS$461.0bUS$22.2b19.3x21.7x1x
Sat, 13 Jul 2024US$458.9bUS$473.4bUS$24.5b17.2x18.7x1x
Mon, 10 Jun 2024US$467.4bUS$473.7bUS$25.1b14.9x18.6x1x
Wed, 08 May 2024US$485.4bUS$474.2bUS$24.2b16.5x20x1x
Fri, 05 Apr 2024US$480.9bUS$472.8bUS$24.8b15.9x19.4x1x
Sun, 03 Mar 2024US$471.8bUS$477.0bUS$24.9b14.9x18.9x1x
Tue, 30 Jan 2024US$487.1bUS$490.0bUS$25.5b15.9x19.1x1x
Thu, 28 Dec 2023US$493.2bUS$490.0bUS$25.5b16.6x19.3x1x
Sat, 25 Nov 2023US$484.6bUS$490.5bUS$25.6b16.1x18.9x1x
Mon, 23 Oct 2023US$455.3bUS$494.5bUS$26.4b16.6x17.3x0.9x
Wed, 20 Sep 2023US$506.9bUS$491.1bUS$26.4b18.6x19.2x1x
Fri, 18 Aug 2023US$523.2bUS$491.0bUS$26.3b16.2x19.9x1.1x
Price to Earnings Ratio

19.9x


Total Market Cap: US$523.2bTotal Earnings: US$26.3bTotal Revenue: US$491.0bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.S. Food Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 24.5x202420252026
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 35.2x which is higher than its 3-year average PE of 24.5x.
  • The industry is trading close to its 3-year average PS ratio of 0.90x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Food industry have declined 24% per year over the last three years.
  • Meanwhile revenues for these companies have grown 6.0% 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 Market2.22%
Consumer Staples0.44%
Food-0.072%
Agricultural Products3.84%
Packaged Foods and Meats-1.06%
Industry PE
  • Investors are most optimistic about the Packaged Foods and Meats industry which is trading above its 3-year average PE ratio of 26.9x.
    • Analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 20.9%, which is higher than its past year's earnings decline of 14.9% 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 17.3x.
Forecasted Growth
  • Analysts are most optimistic on the Packaged Foods and Meats industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 21% over the next 5 years.
  • This is better than its past earnings decline of 15% per year.
  • In contrast, the Agricultural Products industry is expected to see its earnings grow by 15% 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
BG Bunge GlobalUS$112.656.9%
+US$1.4b		37.0%PE21.4x
ADM Archer-Daniels-MidlandUS$80.493.1%
+US$1.2b		38.1%PE21.9x
HSY HersheyUS$182.752.9%
+US$1.0b		4.2%PE24.7x
GIS General MillsUS$37.263.5%
+US$672.5m		-24.5%PS1.1x
MKC McCormickUS$53.133.1%
+US$432.9m		-23.7%PE8.8x

Latest News

BG
US$112.65
Bunge Global
7D
6.9%
1Y
37.0%
ADM
US$80.49
Archer-Daniels-Midland
7D
3.1%
1Y
38.1%
POST
US$76.23
Post Holdings
7D
-15.6%
1Y
-28.7%
GIS
US$37.26
General Mills
7D
3.5%
1Y
-24.5%
Seeking Alpha • 15h

General Mills Is Struggling, But If You Believe In The Turnaround It Is The Right Time To Buy

Summary General Mills, Inc. fundamentals are relatively weak, with high demand elasticity, compressing margins, and poor growth metrics. The goodwill impairment is also a strong sign that the firm's brands are losing their appeal. This needs to be changed to reignite growth. The firm, however, pays attractive, sustainable quarterly dividends, and this is the heart of the investment thesis. Today, I rate GIS as buy. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
KHC
US$24.93
Kraft Heinz
7D
-5.6%
1Y
-9.1%
JBS
US$13.41
JBS
7D
-2.5%
1Y
-5.2%
PPC
US$26.51
Pilgrim's Pride
7D
-5.1%
1Y
-47.4%
JJSF
US$89.99
J&J Snack Foods
7D
13.9%
1Y
-17.2%
Analysis Article • Aug 08

J&J Snack Foods Corp. Just Beat EPS By 15%: Here's What Analysts Think Will Happen Next

The investors in J&J Snack Foods Corp. 's ( NASDAQ:JJSF ) will be rubbing their hands together with glee today, after...
HSY
US$182.75
Hershey
7D
2.9%
1Y
4.2%
Seeking Alpha • Aug 07

Hershey: Improving Fundamentals Warrant An Upgrade On Cautious Optimism

Summary Hershey is upgraded from Sell to a cautious Buy as cocoa prices have declined, margins are recovering, and earnings are rebounding. HSY's risk/reward profile is now more attractive, with normalized earnings, resumed dividend growth, and diminished tariff concerns supporting a small position entry. Revenue growth is driven by pricing, not volume, highlighting strong brand power but raising concerns about long-term organic growth sustainability. Monitoring cocoa price volatility, volume trends, and margin normalization remains critical, as fundamental risks persist despite improved conditions. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
SFD
US$24.44
Smithfield Foods
7D
-5.9%
1Y
-2.9%
Seeking Alpha • Aug 07

Smithfield Foods Is Too Tasty For A Downgrade

Summary Smithfield Foods remains a 'buy' as operational execution, accelerating revenue, and a clear long-term strategy drive outperformance versus the S&P 500. SFD’s pending $450M cash acquisition of Nathan’s Famous (NATH) is expected to boost long-term revenue, with anticipated cost synergies reducing the EV/EBITDA multiple to ~10x. The Packaged Meats segment is the primary value driver, with 6.2% revenue growth driven by higher volumes and pricing, while the Fresh Pork and Hog Production segments underperformed. Shares trade at attractive valuation multiples versus peers; upcoming Q2 FY2026 results are a key catalyst, with analysts expecting higher EPS despite a revenue dip. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
TSN
US$57.16
Tyson Foods
7D
-4.1%
1Y
0.8%
FRPT
US$67.77
Freshpet
7D
13.7%
1Y
8.7%
Narrative Update • Aug 07

FRPT: Q2 Progress And Share Repurchases Will Offset Mounting Competitive Pressures

Freshpet's fair value estimate has been revised higher to $70, reflecting analysts' updated price targets in the $70 to $85 range. These targets highlight confidence in the company's recent Q2 execution, marketing and operational progress, while still acknowledging concerns about valuation, slower household penetration and growing competition.
DAR
US$62.83
Darling Ingredients
7D
5.1%
1Y
111.3%
MKC
US$53.13
McCormick
7D
3.1%
1Y
-23.7%
Seeking Alpha • Aug 05

McCormick: A Spicy Total Returns Opportunity

Summary McCormick & Company is rated "Buy," trading at a 19% discount to fair value, with visible earnings durability and a 40-year dividend growth streak. Q2 2026 results beat expectations, driven by the McCormick de México acquisition, organic growth, and margin expansion from pricing and supply chain savings. The pending $44.8 billion Unilever Foods acquisition could add top brands, boost distribution, and drive mid- to high-teens EPS accretion by year 3 post-close. MKC offers a 3.7% yield, robust dividend safety, and potential for 13%+ annual total returns through FY 2031, despite macro and integration risks. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
MDLZ
US$61.53
Mondelez International
7D
-0.3%
1Y
-0.05%
HRL
US$24.70
Hormel Foods
7D
-2.1%
1Y
-13.6%