Shore Capital Group Reaffirms “Hold” Rating for Associated British Foods (LON:ABF)

Associated British Foods (LON:ABF)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Shore Capital Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,London Stock Exchange reports. They presently have a GBX 2,010 target price on the stock. Shore Capital Group’s target price suggests a potential upside of 4.55% from the stock’s previous close.

ABF has been the subject of a number of other reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Associated British Foods to an “underperform” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from GBX 2,050 to GBX 1,850 in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an “underperform” rating and set a GBX 1,650 target price on shares of Associated British Foods in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a GBX 2,050 price target on shares of Associated British Foods in a report on Friday, June 26th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Associated British Foods from £141 to £133 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Associated British Foods from GBX 1,925 to GBX 1,850 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of GBX 3,498.57.

Associated British Foods Price Performance

ABF opened at GBX 1,922.50 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,863.46 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 1,911.59. Associated British Foods has a twelve month low of GBX 1,729.45 and a twelve month high of GBX 2,359. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.63. The company has a market capitalization of £13.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.43, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.81.

Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 17th. The company reported GBX 174.90 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of GBX 1,945.90 billion for the quarter. Associated British Foods had a net margin of 4.89% and a return on equity of 8.44%. Equities analysts expect that Associated British Foods will post 188.0990415 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Loraine Woodhouse bought 1,074 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 1,853 per share, for a total transaction of £19,901.22. Company insiders own 1.52% of the company’s stock.

Associated British Foods News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Associated British Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Primark sales are still edging higher and are helping offset weakness in the Sugar business, which supports the case for the group’s broader earnings resilience. Associated British Foods maintains full-year outlook as Primark growth offsets Sugar challenges (ABF)
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Primark is still on track for a potential separation from parent company AB Foods by the end of 2027, which keeps the spin-off story alive but does not appear to change near-term trading. Primark on track to split from parent company by the end of 2027
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated an underperform rating and a GBX 1,650 price target, adding to the cautious broker backdrop already weighing on the stock. Broker views
• Negative Sentiment: AB Foods warned of more sugar losses as elevated gas costs from the Iran war threaten margins in its Sugar division, a key reason the stock is falling. Primark owner AB Foods still expects lower annual profit
• Negative Sentiment: Management maintained lower profit expectations for fiscal 2026, signaling that the sugar downturn is still expected to outweigh other strengths. Associated British Foods Maintains Lower Profit Expectations for Fiscal 2026; Shares Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup cut its price target and downgraded Associated British Foods plc (ABF) to sell, while Jefferies reaffirmed an underperform view, reinforcing concerns that earnings risk remains elevated. London Stock Exchange broker ratings

Associated British Foods Company Profile

Associated British Foods is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £13.9bn, 128,000 employees and operations in 53 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia.

Our purpose is to provide safe, nutritious, affordable food, and clothing that is great value for money. With the breadth of our business, our brands and global reach, ABF aims to consistently deliver value to its stakeholders.

Our business is split into five segments: Grocery; Sugar; Agriculture; Ingredients; and Retail.