Nathan’s Famous agrees to all-cash acquisition by Smithfield

Nathan’s Famous ( (NATH) ) has issued an announcement.

On January 20, 2026, Nathan’s Famous, Inc. agreed to be acquired by Smithfield Foods, Inc. in an all-cash merger valuing the hot dog maker at about $450 million, with Nathan’s shareholders to receive $102.00 per share and the company to become a wholly owned Smithfield subsidiary and cease public trading once customary regulatory and shareholder approvals, including antitrust and CFIUS clearance, are obtained. The deal, approved by Nathan’s board and supported by a voting agreement covering roughly 29.9% of the stock, consolidates Smithfield’s control over a brand it has licensed since 2014, is expected to be immediately accretive to Smithfield’s earnings and deliver cost synergies, tightens Nathan’s no-shop constraints while allowing for superior bids under fiduciary-out provisions, and includes retention bonuses for Nathan’s CEO and CFO as well as potential termination fees on both sides tied to competing offers and national security review outcomes, underscoring the transaction’s strategic and regulatory significance for shareholders and industry positioning in branded packaged meats.

The most recent analyst rating on (NATH) stock is a Hold with a $93.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Nathan’s Famous stock, see the NATH Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on NATH Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, NATH is a Neutral.

Nathan’s Famous shows strong profitability and reasonable valuation, but high leverage and negative equity pose significant financial risks. The bearish technical indicators suggest weak market momentum, which negatively impacts the stock’s attractiveness. The absence of earnings call data limits insights into future guidance and sentiment.

To see Spark’s full report on NATH stock, click here.

More about Nathan’s Famous

Nathan’s Famous, Inc., a Russell 2000 company, is an iconic U.S. hot dog brand that distributes its products across all 50 states, U.S. territories and 21 foreign countries through a mix of company and franchised restaurants, foodservice programs and product licensing, while Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a major American food producer with a leading position in value-added packaged meats and fresh pork and existing licensing rights to manufacture and sell Nathan’s-branded products in North American retail and foodservice channels.

Average Trading Volume: 40,758

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: $382.7M

See more insights into NATH stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.