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Associated British Foods (ABF) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Associated British Foods logo
GBX 1,816.99 -203.01 (-10.05%)
As of 12:47 PM Eastern

Associated British Foods - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
3
Hold
4
Buy
0

Based on 7 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Associated British Foods in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce." Out of the 7 analysts, 3 have given a sell rating, and 4 have given a hold rating for ABF.

Consensus Price Target

GBX 1,808.57
According to the 7 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Associated British Foods, the average price target is GBX 1,808.57. The highest price target for ABF is GBX 2,050, while the lowest price target for ABF is GBX 1,550. The average price target represents a forecasted downside of -0.46% from the current price of GBX 1,816.99.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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ABF Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/10/25 to 9/10/26
1 Month Ago
8/11/25 to 8/11/26
3 Months Ago
6/12/25 to 6/12/26
1 Year Ago
9/10/24 to 9/10/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
2 Buy rating(s)
Hold
4 Hold rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
0 Hold rating(s)
Sell
3 Sell rating(s)
3 Sell rating(s)
3 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price TargetGBX 1,808.57GBX 1,788.57GBX 1,746GBX 2,215
Consensus RatingReduceReduceReduceHold

ABF Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

ABF Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Associated British Foods Stock vs. The Competition

TypeAssociated British FoodsConsumer Staples Companies
Consensus Rating Score
1.57
2.22
Consensus RatingReduceHold
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent ABF News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
9/9/2026 Reiterated RatingHoldGBX 2,010+12.35%
9/3/2026
Citigroup Inc. logo
Citigroup
4 of 5 stars
 Boost TargetSellGBX 1,330 ➝ GBX 1,550-24.83%
7/3/2026 Lower TargetNeutralGBX 1,780 ➝ GBX 1,700-12.01%
7/1/2026 Reiterated RatingUnderperformGBX 1,650-13.45%
6/26/2026 Reiterated RatingNeutralGBX 2,050 ➝ GBX 2,050+3.56%
5/26/2026 Lower TargetHoldGBX 1,925 ➝ GBX 1,850+0.82%
4/13/2026 DowngradeUnderperformGBX 2,050 ➝ GBX 1,850-0.48%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Thursday at 05:22 PM ET.


Should I Buy Associated British Foods Stock? ABF Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Associated British Foods pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Associated British Foods
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Associated British Foods plc:

  • Associated British Foods plc recently completed a £250 million share buyback programme, which involves the company repurchasing its own shares from the open market to reduce the total number of shares outstanding. This action can increase the earnings per share for remaining shareholders and signals management confidence in the company's value, with the stock currently trading at $2039.00.
  • The company has demonstrated strong operational resilience by finalizing the acquisition of the Hovis Group for £75 million, expanding its grocery and bakery portfolio. This strategic move allows Associated British Foods plc to strengthen its market position in the food sector and diversify its revenue streams through a well-known brand.
  • Associated British Foods plc offers a dividend yield of 3.04%, providing investors with a steady income stream. This is particularly attractive for income-focused investors, as the company maintains a consistent payout ratio supported by its diversified business segments including Grocery, Sugar, Agriculture, Ingredients, and Retail.
  • The stock has recently crossed above its 200-day moving average, a technical indicator that often signals a shift in long-term trend from bearish to bullish. This upward momentum suggests that investor sentiment is improving, potentially leading to further price appreciation as the stock recovers from its 52-week low of $1729.45.
  • Associated British Foods plc benefits from a low beta of 0.81, indicating that the stock is less volatile than the overall market. This makes it a relatively stable investment option for investors seeking to reduce portfolio risk while still participating in the growth of the consumer staples sector.

Associated British Foods
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Associated British Foods plc for these reasons:

  • The consensus rating from seven analysts is "Reduce," with an average price target of GBX 1,788.57, which is significantly below the current stock price of $2039.00. This suggests that analysts believe the stock is overvalued and may face downward pressure in the near term.
  • Citigroup recently raised its price target to GBX 1,550 but maintained a "sell" rating, indicating that even with a higher target, the firm sees significant downside potential of 24.83% from the current price. This bearish outlook reflects concerns about the company's future earnings growth and market positioning.
  • Associated British Foods plc has a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.63, which is relatively high and indicates that the company relies heavily on debt financing. This could increase financial risk, especially if interest rates rise or if the company faces economic downturns that affect its cash flow.
  • The company's net margin of 4.89% and return on equity of 8.44% suggest that profitability is moderate, which may limit the company's ability to generate high returns for shareholders compared to peers with stronger margins and higher ROE.
  • Recent insider activity includes significant share sales by insiders such as Eoin Tonge and George G Weston, who sold a combined 78,478 shares in November 2025. While insider selling is not always a negative signal, it can indicate a lack of confidence in the stock's short-term prospects.

ABF Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 7 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Associated British Foods is GBX 1,808.57, with a high forecast of GBX 2,050 and a low forecast of GBX 1,550.

7 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Associated British Foods in the last twelve months. There are currently 3 sell ratings and 4 hold ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "reduce" ABF shares.

According to analysts, Associated British Foods's stock has a predicted downside of -0.46% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Associated British Foods has been rated by research analysts at Citigroup, Jefferies Financial Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Shore Capital Group, and UBS Group in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Associated British Foods less than other "consumer staples" companies. The consensus rating for Associated British Foods is Reduce while the average consensus rating for "consumer staples" companies is Hold. Learn more on how ABF compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Associated British Foods analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 9/9/2026.
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