Dean Investment Associates LLC Purchases 17,097 Shares of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG)

Dean Investment Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG - Free Report) by 16.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 122,348 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 17,097 shares during the period. Dean Investment Associates LLC's holdings in Conagra Brands were worth $3,395,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in Conagra Brands during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Conagra Brands in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 65.4% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,131 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Conagra Brands during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Conagra Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. 83.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Conagra Brands Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE:CAG traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $25.56. 1,232,781 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,112,150. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.06, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.27. Conagra Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $23.06 and a 52 week high of $33.24. The firm's 50 day moving average is $25.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.87.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 3rd. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.01). Conagra Brands had a return on equity of 13.76% and a net margin of 4.13%. The business had revenue of $2.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.92 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.69 earnings per share. Conagra Brands's revenue was down 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Conagra Brands, Inc. will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Conagra Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 28th will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 28th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.48%. Conagra Brands's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 205.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Conagra Brands from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Conagra Brands from $29.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Conagra Brands from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their target price for the company from $33.00 to $26.00 in a report on Monday, February 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Conagra Brands from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $27.90.

Conagra Brands Company Profile

Conagra Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer packaged goods food company primarily in the United States. The company operates through Grocery & Snacks, Refrigerated & Frozen, International, and Foodservice segments. The Grocery & Snacks segment primarily offers shelf stable food products through various retail channels.