Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.06 EPS

Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.06, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $3.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.74 billion. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Smithfield Foods’ conference call:

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported a record first‑quarter adjusted operating profit of $339 million and an adjusted operating profit margin of 8.9%, driven by disciplined execution and Packaged Meats strength.
• Positive Sentiment: Packaged Meats sales grew ~6% (volume +3.5%), gained branded volume share and distribution (e.g., Prime Fresh volume +26%), supporting higher‑margin mix and marketing investments.
• Negative Sentiment: Fresh Pork profit and margin were slightly down (seasonal and operational headwinds) due to East Coast winter storm production disruptions and lower China export volumes, and prior tariff disruptions complicate comparisons.
• Positive Sentiment: Hog Production turned modestly profitable ($4 million) for the fifth consecutive quarter after exiting underperforming farms and improving herd/feed economics, and the company is targeting ~30% internal supply over time.
• Neutral Sentiment: Balance sheet remains strong with $3.7 billion liquidity and net debt/EBITDA ~0.4x, the company reaffirmed 2026 guidance but flagged near‑term inflation risks (diesel, packaging, beef/turkey) and mitigation levers like price/mix, productivity, hedging, and targeted capital spend.

Smithfield Foods Trading Down 0.5%

SFD stock traded down $0.14 during trading on Thursday, hitting $26.28. The company had a trading volume of 1,431,429 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,364,934. The stock has a market cap of $10.34 billion, a PE ratio of 10.47 and a beta of -0.33. Smithfield Foods has a one year low of $21.08 and a one year high of $29.81. The business has a 50-day moving average of $26.28 and a 200-day moving average of $23.85.

Smithfield Foods Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 7th were issued a $0.3125 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 7th. This is a boost from Smithfield Foods’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.8%. Smithfield Foods’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on SFD. Weiss Ratings upgraded Smithfield Foods from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Barclays upped their target price on Smithfield Foods from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Smithfield Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, March 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Smithfield Foods from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Smithfield Foods from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have given a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $29.88.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Smithfield Foods

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SFD. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Smithfield Foods by 94.0% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 3,634,709 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,343,000 after buying an additional 1,760,713 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Smithfield Foods by 653.3% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,664,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,084,000 after buying an additional 1,443,605 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Smithfield Foods by 583.6% during the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 1,212,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,461,000 after buying an additional 1,034,814 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Smithfield Foods by 553.2% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,061,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,930,000 after purchasing an additional 899,200 shares during the period. Finally, Zimmer Partners LP raised its holdings in shares of Smithfield Foods by 73.2% during the third quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 1,836,714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,126,000 after purchasing an additional 776,330 shares during the period.

Smithfield Foods Company Profile

Smithfield Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: SFD) is one of the world’s largest pork processors and hog producers. Founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, the company has grown from a regional ham producer into a fully integrated food company offering a broad range of fresh pork, value-added meats and prepared foods. Its product portfolio includes bacon, ham, sausage, ribs and deli meats marketed under well-known brands such as Smithfield®, Nathan’s Famous® and Eckrich®.

Smithfield operates a network of hog production facilities, processing plants and distribution centers across the United States, Europe and Latin America.