Hormel Foods Corp vs iShares Gold Trust — how do they compare? Hormel Foods Corp trades at $25.19 (market cap $13.82B), while iShares Gold Trust trades at $77.69. The key difference: Hormel Foods Corp pays a 4.66% dividend while iShares Gold Trust pays none, and Hormel Foods Corp is trading nearer its 52-week high, iShares Gold Trust nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HRL | IAU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.82B | — |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Commodities - Metals/Agriculture |
52-Week High | $29.52 | $101.57 |
52-Week Low | $19.74 | $61.62 |
Enterprise Value | $15.81B | — |
Dividend Yield | 4.66% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $25.115, down 1.1% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. The company reported revenue of $12.11B in 2025 with a net income margin of 3.82%, and has beaten EPS estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent news highlights its status as a Dividend King with 60 consecutive years of dividend increases, and the sale of its Ceratti business in Brazil aims to streamline international operations.
Outlook remains cautious with modest growth projections; the stock offers a reliable dividend but faces margin pressures and competitive headwinds. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $26.33 price target, suggesting limited upside. Key risks include earnings volatility and macroeconomic impacts on consumer staples demand.
IAU, the iShares Gold Trust ETF, trades at $75.35, down 0.2% with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The ETF tracks physical gold prices, which have shown volatility amid Middle East tensions and shifting Fed rate expectations. Recent institutional activity includes Eurizon Asset Management acquiring 482,015 shares in Q1 2026 while AlTi Global reduced its position by 1.3%.
Gold's outlook balances strong central bank demand against interest rate pressures. The risk/reward appears favorable with limited downside, though Fed policy remains the primary driver. Physical gold demand from Asian markets provides support, but higher rates could continue to cap near-term gains.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Hormel Foods is a protein-focused branded food company. Its brands include its namesake Hormel, Spam, Jennie-O, Dinty Moore, Applegate, Wholly Guacamole, and Skippy. The vast majority of the company's revenue is U.S.-based: 64% U.S. retail, 28% U.S. food service, and 8% international. By product type, in fiscal 2021, 23% of revenue was shelf-stable foods, 18% was poultry (branded and commodity), 55% was other perishable food, and 3% was other, primarily nutritional products. The company holds the number-one market position in shelf-stable meat, shelf-stable ready meals, pepperoni, natural/organic deli meat, and guacamole and the number-two position in turkey, bacon, chilled ready meals, and peanut butter.
Read more on HRL →IAU is a physically backed ETF that seeks to reflect the performance of the price of gold. It provides a convenient and liquid way for investors to include gold in their portfolios as a potential hedge.
Read more on IAU →