Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) Reaches New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $17.99 and last traded at $18.29, with a volume of 301062 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $18.16.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Flowers Foods from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 10th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Flowers Foods from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of Flowers Foods from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.00.

Flowers Foods Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $3.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.52, a P/E/G ratio of 8.72 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $19.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.01.

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 7th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.01. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 4.86% and a return on equity of 19.48%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.20 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Flowers Foods, Inc. will post 1.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Flowers Foods Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Flowers Foods’s dividend payout ratio is 82.05%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Flowers Foods during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Flowers Foods in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its holdings in shares of Flowers Foods by 171.8% in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,623 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 1,658 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Flowers Foods by 34.4% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,713 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Flowers Foods during the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. 75.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Flowers Foods Company Profile

Flowers Foods, Inc produces and markets packaged bakery food products in the United States. Its principal products include fresh breads, buns, rolls, snack items, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas, as well as frozen breads and rolls under the Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, Mrs.