Investors Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG)

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors bought 99,242 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 905% compared to the typical volume of 9,873 call options.

Conagra Brands Trading Up 3.4%

Shares of NYSE:CAG traded up $0.59 during trading on Monday, reaching $18.09. 17,197,309 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,418,145. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. Conagra Brands has a 52-week low of $15.96 and a 52-week high of $28.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -82.23 and a beta of -0.01. The business’s fifty day moving average is $17.29 and its 200-day moving average is $18.18.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) last issued its earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3 billion. Conagra Brands had a negative net margin of 0.87% and a positive return on equity of 10.59%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.70 earnings per share. Conagra Brands has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.700-1.85 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Conagra Brands will post 2.35 EPS for the current year.

Conagra Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 27th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 27th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.7%. Conagra Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -636.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Conagra Brands news, SVP Melissa C. Napier sold 13,011 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.19, for a total value of $223,659.09. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Conagra Brands

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quaker Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Conagra Brands by 202.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 2,427 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in shares of Conagra Brands during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in Conagra Brands by 844.4% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,596 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,427 shares in the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in Conagra Brands during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Spire Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 249.0% in the third quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,724 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,230 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.75% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on CAG shares. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on Conagra Brands from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Conagra Brands from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Conagra Brands in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Conagra Brands from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $18.71.

Conagra Brands Company Profile

Conagra Brands, Inc is a leading packaged foods company based in Chicago, Illinois, with a broad portfolio of shelf-stable, frozen and refrigerated foods marketed under familiar brands. The company develops, produces and distributes a wide range of consumer food products, serving both retail grocery and foodservice channels. Conagra’s product lineup includes frozen entrees, snacks, condiments, baking goods and desserts, providing convenient meal solutions for consumers across North America and select international markets.

Among its well-known brands are Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Marie Callender’s and Banquet in the frozen foods category, as well as Hunt’s sauces, Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, Slim Jim meat snacks and Reddi-wip toppings.