Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) Upgraded to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on FLO. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Flowers Foods in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Flowers Foods from $15.00 to $10.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $13.67.

Flowers Foods Stock Down 0.0%

FLO traded down $0.01 on Monday, hitting $11.13. 872,926 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,842,362. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $10.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.87. 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 has a twelve month low of $9.93 and a twelve month high of $20.25. The company has a market cap of $2.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.09 and a beta of 0.32.

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.23. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.23 billion. Flowers Foods had a return on equity of 16.35% and a net margin of 3.78%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.33 EPS. Flowers Foods has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.020-1.08 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Flowers Foods will post 1.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Flowers Foods Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th were paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.9%. Flowers Foods’s dividend payout ratio is currently 107.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Flowers Foods

In other news, CEO Ryals Mcmullian sold 209,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.87, for a total value of $2,271,830.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,022,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,113,270.60. The trade was a 16.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 11.57% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Flowers Foods

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Belpointe Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Flowers Foods by 7.3% in the second quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 11,245 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,000 after purchasing an additional 764 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Flowers Foods by 5.7% during the third quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc. now owns 15,812 shares of the company’s stock worth $206,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Flowers Foods by 9.1% during the 2nd quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,296 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,000 after purchasing an additional 939 shares during the period. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Flowers Foods by 8.6% in the third quarter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV now owns 12,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after buying an additional 950 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in Flowers Foods by 103.8% during the second quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 984 shares in the last quarter. 75.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Flowers Foods Company Profile

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.