Hilton Food Group PLC (GB:HFG)
LSE:HFG
Top Page
Hilton Food
(LSE:HFG)
Select Model
Select Model
Rating:71Outperform
Price Target:
555.00 p
▲(6.73% Upside)
Action:UpgradedDate:12/07/25
Hilton Food's overall score reflects its strong valuation and solid financial performance, tempered by bearish technical indicators and operational challenges. The company's strategic initiatives and insider confidence provide a positive outlook, despite current market pressures.
Positive Factors
Revenue Growth
Consistent revenue growth indicates strong demand for Hilton Food's products and effective market strategies, supporting long-term expansion.
Negative Factors
Supply Chain Disruptions
Persistent supply chain disruptions can erode margins and affect the company's ability to meet demand efficiently.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Revenue Growth
Consistent revenue growth indicates strong demand for Hilton Food's products and effective market strategies, supporting long-term expansion.
Read all positive factors
Hilton Food (HFG) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£475.09M
Dividend Yield7.01%
Average Volume (3M)491.35K
Price to Earnings (P/E)11.8
Beta (1Y)0.64
Revenue Growth8.58%
EPS Growth-15.81%
CountryUK
Employees7,856
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryPackaged Foods
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.35
Shares Outstanding89,955,710
10 Day Avg. Volume259,872
30 Day Avg. Volume491,350
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio2.83
Price to Book (P/B)2.65
Price to Sales (P/S)0.20
P/FCF Ratio16.30
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£640.00Price Target Upside23.08% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering2
EPS Forecast (FY)0.5
Revenue Forecast (FY)£4.12B
Hilton Food Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Hilton Food Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the food packing business. The company offers a range of fresh items, such as roasting joints, steaks, chops, and minces. It also provides value-added products comprising barbecue r...
How the Company Makes Money
Hilton Food Group generates revenue primarily through long-term contracts with major supermarket chains, which involve the supply of fresh and processed meat products. These contracts often include commitments to deliver a specific volume of produ...
Hilton Food Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Mar 31, 2026
(Q4-2025)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Sep 09, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The call presents a mixed picture: the group has a resilient core meat business, strong liquidity (refinanced GBP 450m RCF) and has realized material value from disposals, with growth projects (Canada, Saudi Arabia, Poland) progressing. However, these positives are counterbalanced by material underperformance and cash/exceptional costs in seafood, vegetarian/vegan segments (Seachill, Foppen, Dalco), inventory write-offs and restructuring charges, and a guidance-led reduction in adjusted PBT for 2026. Management has set a clear strategic plan and financial framework to address weaknesses and target mid-single-digit operating profit growth and >20% ROCE over the medium term, but there are material near-term headwinds and elevated capex/cash demands.Positive Updates
Resilient Core Business
Core meat and fresh prepared food businesses account for ~90% of revenue and remained stable despite a challenging environment: volumes from continuing operations rose 0.2% and core meat volumes in the U.K. were only slightly down despite beef inflation of more than 30%. APAC delivered volume growth and Central Europe achieved double-digit growth in fresh prepared foods.
Negative Updates
Underperformance in Seafood, Vegetarian & Vegan Segments
Seafood, vegetarian and vegan volumes fell 2.6%. Seachill moved into a loss-making position and overall these segments severely pressured group profit and are cited as a key reason for the expected profit reduction in 2026.
Read all updates
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive
Negative
Resilient Core Business
Core meat and fresh prepared food businesses account for ~90% of revenue and remained stable despite a challenging environment: volumes from continuing operations rose 0.2% and core meat volumes in the U.K. were only slightly down despite beef inflation of more than 30%. APAC delivered volume growth and Central Europe achieved double-digit growth in fresh prepared foods.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
The company reiterated 2026 guidance of adjusted PBT of GBP 60–65m (unchanged since January) after reporting FY2025 adjusted PBT of GBP 73.2m (down c.3% y/y; continuing PBT GBP 69.0m, down 1%), adjusted EPS 56p (‑7.4%) and a tax rate of c.30%; volumes from continuing operations were +0.2% while constant‑currency revenue rose 11.9% and constant‑currency operating profit fell 4.4% (operating margin 2.3% v 2.6% prior). Balance sheet and cash metrics include net bank debt of GBP 126.7m (net debt/EBITDA 0.9x), a GBP 450m 5‑year RCF, core net CapEx of GBP 46.5m in 2025 (core CapEx guidance GBP 50–55m in 2026), GBP 55m spent to date on the Canada project (expected to contribute from 2027 with full benefits by 2029), planned Poland capacity investment of up to GBP 30m, expected net debt increase in 2026, target cash‑flow conversion ~100% (FCF/net income) and a group ROCE target ≥20% (20.1% in 2025, likely below 20% in 2026). Notable one‑offs and provisions: non‑underlying/exceptional net profit GBP 29.3m (including disposal profits of GBP 66.5m), inventory write‑off GBP 18.4m, Foppen relocation cash costs GBP 9.2m, reorganization costs GBP 9.6m (vs GBP 4.2m in 2024) with expected restructuring spend GBP 5–10m p.a.; the medium‑term aim is mid‑single‑digit average operating profit growth, disciplined investment and progressive dividends (FY DPS 35p, +1.4%, final dividend flat).Hilton Food Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
78
Positive
Balance Sheet
70
Positive
Cash Flow
82
Very Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 | Dec 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 4.14B | 3.99B | 3.99B | 3.85B | 3.30B | 2.77B |
| Gross Profit | 422.75M | 456.90M | 430.35M | 295.05M | 295.13M | 260.79M |
| EBITDA | 166.88M | 178.70M | 163.59M | 140.86M | 131.34M | 123.01M |
| Net Income | 38.98M | 39.30M | 36.38M | 17.71M | 37.14M | 39.74M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 1.28B | 1.24B | 1.29B | 1.30B | 1.17B | 1.06B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 92.20M | 112.00M | 126.70M | 87.22M | 140.17M | 123.82M |
| Total Debt | 491.00M | 449.30M | 493.29M | 544.95M | 468.13M | 491.23M |
| Total Liabilities | 961.20M | 919.60M | 967.77M | 990.47M | 859.48M | 833.35M |
| Stockholders Equity | 310.30M | 306.60M | 310.31M | 294.36M | 301.40M | 215.38M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | -19.17M | 49.90M | 107.32M | 3.93M | 30.92M | 443.00K |
| Operating Cash Flow | 61.05M | 124.50M | 166.93M | 60.69M | 88.29M | 95.95M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -76.33M | -62.30M | -54.80M | -139.06M | -98.81M | -91.08M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 14.10M | -72.60M | -71.35M | 24.82M | 27.81M | 9.90M |
Hilton Food Technical Analysis
Positive
520.00
Price Trends
506.35
Positive
502.08
Positive
624.22
Negative
Market Momentum
0.74
Negative
63.65
Neutral
79.01
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:HFG, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 520 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 500.07, above the 50-day MA of 506.35, and below the 200-day MA of 624.22, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.74 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 63.65 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 79.01 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:HFG.
Hilton Food Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
78 Outperform | £2.81B | 8.36 | 14.71% | 2.06% | 6.96% | 28.47% | |
76 Outperform | £1.61B | 8.95 | 10.71% | 1.62% | 0.50% | 20.52% | |
71 Outperform | £475.09M | 11.83 | 12.64% | 7.01% | 8.58% | -15.81% | |
70 Outperform | £1.94B | 17.26 | 12.20% | 0.79% | 7.74% | 30.09% | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
GB:HFG
Hilton Food
529.00
-285.49
-35.05%
GB:CWK
Cranswick
5,250.00
716.13
15.80%
GB:PFD
Premier Foods
186.60
10.11
5.73%
GB:ZAM
Zambeef Product
5.20
0.65
14.29%
GB:GNC
Greencore
244.00
75.00
44.38%
Hilton Food Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Hilton Food Reshapes Leadership as It Aligns Structure with Global Growth
Positive
Jan 8, 2026
Hilton Food Group has announced a series of board and senior leadership changes aimed at aligning its organisational structure with its expanding global footprint. Non-executive director Samy Zekhout has stepped down from the board to become Chief...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Hilton Food Confirms Share Capital and Voting Rights as of Year-End 2025
Neutral
Jan 2, 2026
Hilton Food Group plc has confirmed that as of 31 December 2025 its issued share capital comprises 89,955,713 ordinary shares of 10 pence each, with each share carrying one voting right and no shares held in treasury. This updated share capital an...
DividendsRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hilton Food Group’s Deputy Secretary Acquires Shares, Signaling Confidence
Positive
Dec 2, 2025
Hilton Food Group PLC announced that Rachel Lawrence, the Deputy Company Secretary and a person discharging managerial responsibilities (PDMR), purchased ordinary shares in the company through a dividend reinvestment plan. This transaction, conduc...
Executive/Board Changes
Hilton Food Group Announces CEO Departure and Leadership Transition
Neutral
Nov 25, 2025
Hilton Food Group PLC announced the immediate departure of Steve Murrells as CEO, with Mark Allen stepping in as Executive Chair to provide leadership during the search for a new CEO. Despite challenging trading conditions, the company remains in ...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Hilton Foods Reports Resilient Q3 Amid Inflation Challenges
Neutral
Nov 11, 2025
Hilton Food Group PLC reported a resilient trading performance in the third quarter of 2025, despite facing a highly inflationary pricing environment. The company noted solid volumes in red meat and convenience categories, although underlying dema...
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.