Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) Stock Price Down 8.4% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) dropped 8.4% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $10.57 and last traded at $10.3960. Approximately 2,051,729 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 49% from the average daily volume of 4,019,449 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.35.

Key Stories Impacting Flowers Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting Flowers Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 reported EPS of $0.22 beat consensus (~$0.16) and reported revenue rose ~11% year‑over‑year (helped by a 53rd week and the Simple Mills acquisition). Flowers Foods Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Sales Advance 11%
• Positive Sentiment: Operating cash generation improved materially (cash from operations up year‑over‑year), which supports near‑term liquidity despite balance sheet leverage. Flowers Foods (FLO) Stock Falls on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The 53rd week in the fiscal year and contributions from the Simple Mills acquisition lifted year‑over‑year sales — positive for top line but raises questions on sustainability of growth into FY‑26. Flowers Foods Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Sales Advance 11%
• Neutral Sentiment: Company released the formal Q4 press release and investor slide deck and held a conference call/transcript for more detail; investors will be watching management commentary for margin drivers and timing of cost actions. Flowers Foods Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $0.80–$0.90 came in below the consensus (~$0.99), which is the primary reason for the selloff — investors are repricing expectations for earnings and valuation. Flowers Foods stock falls 5% as 2026 earnings guidance disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Some data sources flagged GAAP operating loss and a quarter that included charges (Quiver flagged large net/operating losses and a negative GAAP EPS figure), increasing near‑term margin concerns and adding to downside pressure. Flowers Foods (FLO) Stock Falls on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: elevated volume and heavier selling following the release as investors focused on guidance and one‑time items rather than the EPS beat. Flowers Foods reports Q4 CY2025 in line with expectations but stock drops

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Flowers Foods from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Flowers Foods from $15.00 to $10.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Flowers Foods in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $13.67.

Flowers Foods Trading Down 11.6%

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $11.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.56. The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 10.91 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.06. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 3.78% and a return on equity of 16.35%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.22 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. Flowers Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.800-0.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Flowers Foods, Inc. will post 1.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Flowers Foods

In other Flowers Foods news, CEO Ryals Mcmullian sold 209,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.87, for a total transaction of $2,271,830.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,022,380 shares in the company, valued at $11,113,270.60. This represents a 16.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 11.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Flowers Foods

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Flowers Foods by 34.9% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 3,272 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 846 shares in the last quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Flowers Foods by 5.7% during the third quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc. now owns 15,812 shares of the company’s stock valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Flowers Foods by 9.1% during the 2nd quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,296 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after acquiring an additional 939 shares during the period. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV lifted its stake in Flowers Foods by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV now owns 12,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 950 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in Flowers Foods by 103.8% in the 2nd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 984 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.45% of the company’s stock.

About Flowers Foods

Flowers Foods, Inc is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States, offering a variety of fresh bread, buns, rolls, snack cakes and tortillas. Headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, the company operates an extensive network of bakeries and distribution centers that serve retail grocery chains, convenience stores, mass merchandisers and foodservice customers nationwide. Flowers Foods markets its products under well-known brands such as Nature’s Own, Wonder, Dave’s Killer Bread, Mrs.