Hormel Foods Q3 Earnings Coming Up: Key Insights for Investors

HRL heads into the fiscal third quarter with consensus forecasts for modest sales and EPS growth, supported by protein demand, pricing and foodservice strength.

Zacks Equity Research

3 min read

Hormel Foods Corporation HRL is likely to witness the growth of both top and bottom lines when it reports third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on Aug. 27. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $3.05 billion, indicating growth of 0.5% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

The consensus mark for earnings has remained unchanged over the past 30 days at 36 cents per share, which implies a 2.9% increase from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. HRL has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.2%, on average.

Hormel Foods Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Hormel Foods Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Hormel Foods Corporation Quote

Factors Likely to Influence HRL’s Upcoming Results

Hormel Foods Corporation’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 performance is likely to have benefited from continued strength across its protein-focused portfolio. Retail demand has remained healthy across priority brands, with Jennie-O ground turkey, Applegate and Hormel Black Label bacon supporting favorable mix. Pricing actions implemented earlier in the year are also likely to have aided sales and profitability, while improving turkey manufacturing performance might have provided operational support.

Foodservice is likely to have remained an important growth driver, supported by branded pepperoni, premium prepared proteins and customized solutions. The segment has been resilient despite soft away-from-home traffic, aided by broad channel exposure and solutions addressing affordability and labor needs. Recent innovation, including Calabrian chili pizza toppings, might have supported customer engagement. International performance is likely to have benefited from SPAM exports and continued strength in China.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the Foodservice segment’s third-quarter sales is pegged at $1,004 million, which indicates an increase of 1.7% from the figure recorded in the year-ago period. The consensus mark for the International segment’s sales presently stands at $201 million, implying 7.5% growth from $187 million recorded in the year-ago period.

However, several pressures might have limited earnings growth. Consumers remained cautious, while weakness in higher-priced nuts such as cashews reflected sensitivity to inflation and value. A full quarter of elevated fuel expenses, higher logistics costs and volatile pork and beef inputs are likely to have pressured margins. Targeted inventory rebalancing across certain ambient products, including canned items and Skippy, also resulted in lower plant utilization, creating an additional third-quarter cost headwind.

Earnings Whispers for HRL

Our proven model doesn’t conclusively predict an earnings beat for Hormel Foods this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.

Hormel Foods carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks With the Favorable Combination

Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.

The J. M. Smucker Company SJM currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.77% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for J. M. Smucker’s upcoming quarter’s earnings per share is pegged at $2.21, implying 16.3% year-over-year growth. The consensus estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $2.11 billion, which indicates a decrease of 0.4% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. SJM delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.5%, on average.

Burlington Stores, Inc. BURL currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.84% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Burlington's upcoming quarter’s earnings per share is pegged at $2.18, which implies 37.1% growth year over year.

The consensus estimate for the quarterly revenues is pinned at $3.03 billion, which indicates 12% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. BURL delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 14%, on average.

Costco Wholesale Corporation COST currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.45% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its upcoming quarter’s revenues is pegged at $94.46 billion, indicating a 9.6% rise from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The consensus estimate for Costco’s earnings is pegged at $6.51 per share, implying 10.9% growth from the year-ago quarter. COST delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1%, on average.

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