Hormel Foods Corp vs 22nd Century Group Inc — how do they compare? Hormel Foods Corp trades at $24.5 (market cap $13.37B), while 22nd Century Group Inc trades at $4.33 (market cap $1.52M). The key difference: Hormel Foods Corp is far larger — about 8796.1× 22nd Century Group Inc's market cap, and Hormel Foods Corp pays a 4.81% dividend while 22nd Century Group Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HRL | XXII | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.37B | $1.52M |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $29.25 | $801.00 |
52-Week Low | $19.74 | $3.72 |
Enterprise Value | $15.37B | -$6.71M |
Dividend Yield | 4.81% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $24.41, down 1.21% on the day, with a bearish technical outlook despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows mixed fundamentals with a P/E of 28.6x and modest 3.8% net margin, while revenue has been stable around $12B annually. Recent corporate developments include the appointment of John Ghingo as CEO and the sale of its Brazilian CERATTI business, signaling strategic refocusing.
HRL offers defensive appeal with consistent dividends and a 4.6% yield, but faces margin pressure and modest growth prospects. Analyst consensus is Hold with a $26.33 price target, suggesting limited upside. Key risks include consumer spending sensitivity and execution challenges under new leadership.
22nd Century Group (XXII) trades at $4.31, down 0.92% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and bearish moving averages. The company shows deep unprofitability with a gross margin of -52.19% and net margin of -65.76%, though revenue was $7.05M in 2025. Recent corporate actions include a 20:1 reverse stock split in June 2026, and news highlights retail expansion for VLN reduced-nicotine cigarettes in California and New York.
The outlook remains speculative with high execution risk amid persistent losses, but analyst sentiment is bullish with 75% buy ratings. Key risks include negative cash flow from operations, regulatory hurdles for tobacco products, and the need for successful commercialization of VLN to achieve profitability.
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 →22nd Century Group is a plant biotechnology company that uses genetic engineering and gene editing to control the levels of nicotine in tobacco plants. Its flagship product line, VLN®, is the first and only combustible cigarette authorized by the FDA as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), containing 95% less nicotine than traditional cigarettes to help adult smokers smoke less.
Read more on XXII →