Hormel Foods Corp vs Wendys Co — how do they compare? Hormel Foods Corp trades at $19.19 (market cap $10.69B), while Wendys Co trades at $6.23 (market cap $1.19B). The key difference: Hormel Foods Corp is far larger — about 9× Wendys Co's market cap, and Hormel Foods Corp pays the higher dividend (6.02%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Hormel Foods Corp for 99 Days and Wendys Co for 77 Days on average.
| HRL | WEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.69B | $1.19B |
Volume | 10,041,387 | 5,622,905 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $26.50 | $9.33 |
52-Week Low | $19.19 | $6.10 |
Typical Hold Time | 99 Days | 77 Days |
Enterprise Value | $12.67B | $4.92B |
Dividend Yield | 6.02% | 4.49% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $19.42, down 0.66% with a bearish technical signal. The company shows mixed fundamentals with a P/E of 31.32 and net margin of 2.82%, though it has beaten EPS estimates in recent quarters. Recent news highlights the $1.06B Brakebush acquisition to expand foodservice presence, while maintaining its 60-year dividend king status with a quarterly payout of $0.2925.
The outlook is cautious with analyst consensus at Buy 20%/Hold 57%/Sell 23% and a $24.25 price target suggesting 25% upside. Key risks include declining profit margins, high payout ratio concerns, and integration challenges from the Brakebush acquisition. The stock offers dividend stability but faces growth headwinds in a competitive food sector.
WEN trades at $6.22, up 1.8% today, but remains near multi-year lows amid bearish technical signals and fundamental pressures. The stock shows low valuation multiples (P/E 9.45, P/S 0.54) and a high ROE of 108.04%, yet faces declining net income margins (7.58% in 2025) and negative sentiment from recent franchisee bankruptcies. Earnings have consistently beaten estimates, but same-store sales declines and high debt levels ($2.66B long-term) weigh on investor confidence.
The outlook is cautious; while valuation appears cheap and dividend yield offers income, competitive pressures, shrinking sales, and leveraged balance sheet pose significant risks. Analyst consensus is 'Hold' with a $7.58 price target, suggesting limited upside without operational turnaround under new leadership.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →The Wendy's Company is the second-largest burger quick-service restaurant, or QSR, chain in the United States by systemwide sales, with $11.1 billion in 2021, narrowly edging Burger King ($10.3 billion) and clocking in well behind wide-moat McDonald's ($45.7 billion). After divestitures of Tim Hortons (2006) and Arby's (2011), the firm manages just the burger banner, generating sales across a footprint that spans almost 7,000 total units in 30 countries. Wendy's generates revenue from the sale of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and fries throughout its company-owned footprint, through franchise royalty and marketing fund payments remitted by its franchisees, which account for 94% of stores, and through franchise flipping and advisory fees.
Read more on WEN →