CAG Trading Cheaper Than Industry: What's Next for Investors?

Conagra Brands, Inc. CAG, one of North America's leading branded food companies, currently trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 9.68X. The figure is below the industry and the S&P 500’s average of 16.03X and 21.88X, respectively, highlighting CAG as a potentially undervalued stock. For investors, this presents an attractive opportunity, which is further underscored by CAG’s current Value Score of A.

CAG Stock P/E Performance

CAG’s shares have lost 9.4% in the past three months compared with the industry and the S&P 500 index’s decline of 3% and 0.9%, respectively. Currently trading at $23.01, CAG is hovering near its 52-week low of $22.38, which may attract value-conscious investors evaluating potential recovery opportunities.

Let us delve into the financial and strategic fundamentals that underpin Conagra’s current position in the market.

Decoding CAG’s Growth Strategy

Consumer preferences are constantly evolving and Conagra actively evaluates opportunities to reshape the portfolio for sustained growth and margin expansion. This includes ongoing investments in innovation, brand modernization, and a strategic mix of acquisitions and value-accretive divestitures. Over the past decade, the company has significantly transformed its portfolio and recently resumed active reshaping by exiting low-growth businesses and strengthening its presence in key categories.

CAG’s broad portfolio across frozen, snacks and staples positions it to capitalize on multiple consumer trends while mitigating risks from individual category fluctuations. During the third quarter of fiscal 2025, the company emphasized continued strong consumer pull across its brands, despite temporary supply constraints. As inventory rebuilds and service levels improve, particularly in frozen, the company expects volumes to recover further in the coming quarters.

The snacking segment remains a key growth engine, with volumes rising 4% in the fiscal third quarter. The company also gained volume share in both snacking and staples, supported by its focus on high-demand subcategories such as seeds, meat snacks and popcorn, areas aligned with growing consumer interest in healthier, convenient snacking options.

Are Headwinds Enough to Derail CAG’s Momentum?

Despite its strategic initiatives, Conagra’s Foodservice unit has been under pressure, reflecting broader industry challenges. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, sales in this segment dropped 6.1% year over year to $256 million. Segmental organic sales declined 6.3%, while volumes fell 10%, caused by persistent softness in commercial traffic amid ongoing macroeconomic pressures. This underperformance constrains Conagra’s ability to fully capitalize on growth opportunities within the foodservice channel.

CAG’s presence in the global markets exposes it to volatile currency movements. The company’s International segment was adversely affected by currency fluctuations. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, net sales for the International segment declined 17.6% year over year to $224 million, with foreign exchange alone contributing to an 8.5% decrease. 

Meanwhile, sustained cost inflation continues to pressure Conagra’s profitability. Inflation remains elevated at approximately 4% in the fiscal third quarter. As a result of the inflation and unfavorable operating leverage, adjusted gross profit declined 19.1% to $704 million in the fiscal third quarter and the adjusted gross margin contracted 389 basis points to 24.8%. Although there is an expectation of some margin improvement in the fiscal fourth quarter, this is unlikely to fully counterbalance the cost pressures.

CAG Stock Past Three Months Performance

CAG Stock Analysis

Conagra’s focused brand investments and strong presence in high-growth categories like snacking position it for long-term growth. However, near-term challenges, including foodservice segment weakness, cost inflation, and unfavorable currency impacts, may weigh on performance. Considering these mixed factors, investors are recommended to hold on to CAG stock while awaiting clearer signs of margin recovery and volume improvement. At present, CAG carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Top-Ranked Stocks

Nomad Foods Limited NOMD manufactures, markets and distributes a range of frozen food products in the United Kingdom and internationally. It currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nomad Foods' current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 5% and 7.3%, respectively, from the prior-year levels. NOMD delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.2%, on average.

Mondelez International, Inc. MDLZ manufactures, markets and sells snack food and beverage products in Latin America, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. It presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). MDLZ delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.8%, on average. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mondelez International’s current financial-year sales indicates growth of 4.9% from the year-ago numbers. 

Oatly Group AB OTLY, an oatmilk company, provides a range of plant-based dairy products made from oats. It presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. OTLY delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 25.1%, on average.

The consensus estimate for Oatly Group’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 2.7% and 56.6%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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