General Mills (NYSE:GIS) Rating Lowered to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

General Mills (NYSE:GIS) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on GIS. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on General Mills from $53.00 to $48.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of General Mills from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $51.00 target price on shares of General Mills in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of General Mills from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of General Mills from $49.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, General Mills currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $51.37.

General Mills Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of GIS stock opened at $44.63 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.39. General Mills has a one year low of $42.78 and a one year high of $67.35. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $46.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.68. The company has a market capitalization of $23.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.60 and a beta of -0.06.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, December 17th. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.78 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 13.51% and a return on equity of 21.41%. General Mills’s quarterly revenue was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.40 EPS. General Mills has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.580-3.790 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that General Mills will post 4.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at General Mills

In other news, insider Paul Joseph Gallagher sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.15, for a total transaction of $72,225.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 48,568 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,338,549.20. This represents a 3.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On General Mills

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of General Mills in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its holdings in General Mills by 139.8% during the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 578 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 337 shares during the period. Close Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in General Mills in the third quarter worth $28,000. Davis Capital Management purchased a new position in General Mills during the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its position in General Mills by 248.1% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. 75.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

General Mills News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting General Mills this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BofA remains bullish on General Mills, arguing underlying brand strength and margins justify confidence despite a tougher backdrop. BofA remains bullish on General Mills (GIS) – here’s why
• Positive Sentiment: Investment articles highlight General Mills as a high-yield dividend pick, which supports the stock’s defensive appeal for income investors. 2 No-Brainer Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage on product strategy notes General Mills is pushing protein-forward cereals to win health-conscious shoppers — a potential long-term revenue stabilizer if execution succeeds. Is General Mills (GIS) Using Protein Cereals to Reposition Its Core Brand Strategy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analyst-roundup pieces provide mixed takeaways and context on consumer food stocks (General Mills vs. peers), offering industry comparatives rather than firm-specific bullish/bearish calls. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Goods Companies: General Mills (GIS) and Kenvue, Inc. (KVUE)
• Neutral Sentiment: Another analyst roundup compares General Mills to Hormel Foods, useful for relative valuation/strategy context but not a clear directional catalyst. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Goods Companies: General Mills (GIS) and Hormel Foods (HRL)
• Neutral Sentiment: Post‑quarter “buy/sell/hold” coverage reexamines the stock after Q4 results — useful for horizon investors but not a near-term price catalyst. General Mills (GIS): Buy, sell, or hold post Q4 earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler cut its price target on GIS to $53, reducing upside expectations and signaling more cautious views on near-term growth. Piper Sandler Lowers General Mills (NYSE:GIS) Price Target to $53.00
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target to $45, another downward revision that likely increases selling pressure. Wells Fargo & Company Lowers General Mills (NYSE:GIS) Price Target to $45.00
• Negative Sentiment: News coverage highlights General Mills cutting guidance and warning of a “challenging backdrop,” which directly pressures valuation and investor sentiment. General Mills Guidance Cut Tests Valuation Appeal And Consumer Resilience
• Negative Sentiment: Additional pieces argue the company’s growth prospects are impaired and that historically low valuations may no longer be a buy signal, reinforcing bearish views. General Mills wipes out prospects for growth amid “challenging backdrop” General Mills: Why Historically Low Valuations Are No Longer A ‘Buy’ Signal
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ coverage underscores that a cut in outlook “slammed” the stock, summarizing market reaction to the weaker guidance and execution concerns. General Mills Wants to Win Health-Conscious Shoppers; Cut in Outlook Slams Stock

About General Mills

General Mills, Inc (NYSE: GIS) is a multinational consumer foods company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded food products. Its product categories include ready-to-eat and hot cereals, baking mixes and ingredients, snacks and bars, refrigerated and frozen doughs, yogurt and other dairy products, and a variety of shelf-stable meals and meal components. The company’s portfolio features widely recognized consumer brands across grocery store, mass channel and foodservice outlets.

Founded in the early 20th century and incorporated under its current name in 1928, General Mills has grown through both internal brand development and strategic expansion to become a global food company.