Cranswick PLC (GB:CWK)
LSE:CWK
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Cranswick
(LSE:CWK)
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Rating:75Outperform
Price Target:
6,143.00 p
â–²(14.61% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:05/21/26
The score is driven primarily by solid fundamentals (growth and improving margins with manageable leverage) tempered by weaker cash conversion and a recent rise in debt. Technicals are supportive with price trading above key moving averages and positive momentum, while valuation looks attractive due to a low P/E and a modest dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Multi-year revenue growth & improving margins
Cranswick has sustained revenue expansion and margin improvement over multiple years, reflecting durable demand from UK retailers and better operational efficiency. This trend supports resilient cash generation potential and long-term earnings stability even if growth moderates.
Negative Factors
Mixed cash conversion and limited FCF coverage
Operating cash flow trailing reported profit and FCF covering a minority of net income signal working-capital intensity or elevated investment. That constrains free cash available for dividends, deleveraging or strategic investment, raising funding sensitivity over coming quarters.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Multi-year revenue growth & improving margins
Cranswick has sustained revenue expansion and margin improvement over multiple years, reflecting durable demand from UK retailers and better operational efficiency. This trend supports resilient cash generation potential and long-term earnings stability even if growth moderates.
Read all positive factors
Cranswick (CWK) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£2.93B
Dividend Yield2.06%
Average Volume (3M)108.89K
Price to Earnings (P/E)18.8
Beta (1Y)0.65
Revenue Growth9.52%
EPS Growth17.22%
CountryUK
Employees15,000
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryPackaged Foods
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)2.94
Shares Outstanding54,303,220
10 Day Avg. Volume105,717
30 Day Avg. Volume108,895
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.99
Price to Book (P/B)2.57
Price to Sales (P/S)0.94
P/FCF Ratio27.35
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£6,170.00Price Target Upside15.11% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering7
EPS Forecast (FY)3.17
Revenue Forecast (FY)£3.16B
Cranswick Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Established in 1972 and headquartered in Hessle, UK, Cranswick plc is a leading British firm dedicated to manufacturing and supplying a comprehensive range of food products. The company caters to a diverse clientele, including grocery retailers, t...
How the Company Makes Money
Cranswick makes money by producing and selling meat and prepared food products, with revenues generated mainly from supplying large UK retailers and foodservice customers under a mix of own-label (private label) and branded/added-value offerings. ...
Cranswick Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
78
Positive
Balance Sheet
74
Positive
Cash Flow
63
Positive
| Breakdown | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 2.98B | 2.72B | 2.60B | 2.32B | 2.01B |
| Gross Profit | 471.50M | 408.80M | 376.90M | 295.70M | 276.80M |
| EBITDA | 336.40M | 280.70M | 253.60M | 220.00M | 199.00M |
| Net Income | 158.30M | 134.30M | 113.10M | 111.40M | 103.50M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 1.74B | 1.53B | 1.38B | 1.26B | 1.14B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 12.50M | 5.90M | 27.00M | 20.40M | 200.00K |
| Total Debt | 257.00M | 178.30M | 126.50M | 121.70M | 106.20M |
| Total Liabilities | 648.40M | 543.30M | 472.50M | 421.50M | 373.60M |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.09B | 987.90M | 911.50M | 842.90M | 768.90M |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | 102.30M | 78.70M | 127.90M | 64.10M | 64.70M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 268.40M | 216.30M | 228.40M | 149.20M | 158.40M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -195.20M | -160.40M | -123.30M | -83.80M | -130.90M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -66.60M | -77.00M | -93.40M | -45.30M | -66.30M |
Cranswick Technical Analysis
Positive
5360.00
Price Trends
5395.40
Positive
5336.80
Positive
5163.52
Positive
Market Momentum
35.29
Positive
46.66
Neutral
21.47
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:CWK, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 5360 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 5507.00, below the 50-day MA of 5395.40, and above the 200-day MA of 5163.52, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 35.29 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 46.66 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 21.47 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:CWK.
Cranswick Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
75 Outperform | £2.93B | 18.76 | 14.99% | 2.06% | 9.52% | 17.22% | |
74 Outperform | £1.73B | 7.84 | 15.61% | 1.62% | 2.31% | 9.04% | |
69 Neutral | £1.58B | 161.43 | 0.73% | 0.79% | 25.76% | -73.03% | |
68 Neutral | £13.37B | 14.27 | 8.44% | 2.98% | -2.16% | -24.87% | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% | |
58 Neutral | £461.17M | 9.64 | 14.17% | 7.01% | 5.67% | 22.05% |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
GB:CWK
Cranswick
5,420.00
234.23
4.52%
GB:ABF
Associated British Foods
1,885.00
-128.27
-6.37%
GB:HFG
Hilton Food
510.50
-283.04
-35.67%
GB:PFD
Premier Foods
198.00
0.31
0.16%
GB:GNC
Greencore
195.50
-26.64
-11.99%
Cranswick Corporate Events
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick director sells 9,000 shares in routine personal planning move
Neutral
May 21, 2026
Cranswick has disclosed that director Christopher Aldersley sold 9,000 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in the company at a price of 5,470 pence per share. The transaction, conducted on 19 May 2026 on the London Stock Exchange, was described as be...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Cranswick lifts profits and capex as integrated food model powers growth
Positive
May 19, 2026
UK food producer Cranswick reported strong full-year results, underscoring the benefits of its vertically integrated model and heavy capital investment in poultry, pork and value-added lines. The group emphasised its focus on quality, service, inn...
Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Cranswick Issues New Shares to Satisfy Employee Save-As-You-Earn Options
Neutral
May 13, 2026
Cranswick plc has issued and allotted 8,241 new ordinary shares of 10 pence each to satisfy employee options granted under its 2023 Save As You Earn Plan. These new shares, admitted to trading under existing block admissions between 16 March and 8...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Confirms Total Voting Rights at 54.3 Million Shares
Neutral
May 1, 2026
Cranswick plc has confirmed that, as of 30 April 2026, it has 54,298,755 ordinary shares of 10p in issue, with each share carrying one voting right and no shares held in treasury. This disclosure sets the official total voting rights at 54,298,755...
Other
Cranswick Director Adds Shares Under Employee Buy-As-You-Earn Plan
Positive
Apr 22, 2026
Cranswick plc disclosed that director Christopher Aldersley has acquired a small number of ordinary shares under the company’s 2024 Buy As You Earn Share Incentive Plan. The purchase, executed on 21 April 2026 via the London Stock Exchange, ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Confirms Total Voting Rights at 54.3 Million Shares
Neutral
Apr 1, 2026
Cranswick plc has confirmed that, as of 31 March 2026, it has 54,295,823 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in issue, with every share carrying one voting right and no shares held in treasury. This establishes the company’s total voting rights...
Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Cranswick Issues New Shares to Satisfy Employee Options
Neutral
Mar 31, 2026
Cranswick plc has issued and allotted 11,072 new 10p ordinary shares to satisfy employee options exercised under the 2023 Save As You Earn Plan. These new shares, which are fully fungible with existing stock, were admitted to trading on the London...
Other
Cranswick Director Increases Stake via Buy As You Earn Share Plan
Positive
Mar 25, 2026
Cranswick has disclosed that director Christopher Aldersley acquired a small number of ordinary shares on 23 March 2026 through the company’s 2024 Buy As You Earn Share Incentive Plan. The purchase formed part of a regular monthly programme ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Discloses Director-Related Share Sale by Director’s Spouse
Neutral
Mar 24, 2026
Cranswick plc disclosed that Tracy Bottomley, the spouse of board director John Mark Bottomley, has sold 110 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in the company on 24 March 2026. The transaction, carried out on the London Stock Exchange at a price of ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Director Sells Small Stake in Routine Share Transaction
Neutral
Mar 24, 2026
Cranswick plc disclosed that director John Mark Bottomley sold 250 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in the company on 24 March 2026 at a price of 5,097.35 pence per share on the London Stock Exchange. The transaction, described as being for person...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick CEO Adam Couch Exercises Options and Sells Shares in Routine Deal
Neutral
Mar 23, 2026
Cranswick plc has disclosed a routine share dealing by chief executive Adam Couch, who exercised options under a Save As You Earn scheme over 347 ordinary shares at 2,800 pence each and subsequently sold the same number of shares at 5,069 pence. T...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Executive Exercises SAYE Share Options
Neutral
Mar 2, 2026
Cranswick plc disclosed that its Chief Commercial Officer, Jim Brisby, has exercised options over 535 ordinary shares under the company’s Save As You Earn share scheme at an exercise price of 2,800 pence per share. The transaction, completed...
Other
Cranswick CFO Exercises SAYE Options, Increases Shareholding
Positive
Mar 2, 2026
Cranswick plc disclosed that its Chief Financial Officer, Mark Bottomley, has exercised options under the company’s Save As You Earn (SAYE) scheme, acquiring 360 ordinary shares of 10 pence each at an exercise price of 2,498 pence per share....
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Confirms Total Voting Rights at 54.3 Million Shares
Neutral
Mar 2, 2026
Cranswick plc has confirmed that as of 27 February 2026 it has 54,281,776 ordinary shares of 10p in issue, with each share carrying one voting right and no shares held in treasury. This disclosure sets the official total voting rights figure that ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick COO Exercises Share Options Under SAYE Scheme
Positive
Mar 2, 2026
Cranswick has disclosed a management share transaction involving Chief Operating Officer Chris Aldersley, in line with market regulations governing dealings by senior executives. Aldersley exercised options under the company’s Save As You Ea...
Other
Cranswick Director Adds Shares Under Employee Incentive Plan
Neutral
Feb 24, 2026
Cranswick has disclosed that director Christopher Aldersley acquired a small number of ordinary shares under the company’s 2024 Buy As You Earn Share Incentive Plan. The purchase, made on 23 February 2026 via the London Stock Exchange as par...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.