HRL vs. KHC: Hormel Foods vs. Kraft Heinz Stock Comparison
How do Hormel Foods (HRL) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Hormel Foods (HRL) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) are both classified in the Packaged Foods & Meats sub-industry within the broader Food Products industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Hormel Foods Corporation | The Kraft Heinz Company |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
| GICS Industry Group | Food, Beverage & Tobacco | Food, Beverage & Tobacco |
| GICS Industry | Food Products | Food Products |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Packaged Foods & Meats | Packaged Foods & Meats |
| Market Capitalization | 12.08 billion USD | 29.13 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | July 6, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 6.06% | 7.82% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -8.11% | -4.22% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -9.33% | -3.33% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 29.42% | 28.10% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.25 | 0.11 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -59.13% | -41.69% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.23M | 16.72M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.06 | 0.13 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | 0.18 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports a negative ROE of -8.95%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Hormel Foods (HRL) reports 4.29%, ranking against industry peers normally.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
4.29%
- Max
- 32.02%
- Q3
- 16.61%
- Median
- 10.05%
- HRL
- 4.29%
- Q1
- 4.10%
- Min
- -10.50%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
-8.95%
- Max
- 32.02%
- Q3
- 16.61%
- Median
- 10.05%
- Q1
- 4.10%
- KHC
- -8.95%
- Min
- -10.50%
Net Margin (TTM)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports a negative net margin of -13.99%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Hormel Foods (HRL) reports 2.82%, ranking against industry peers normally.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
2.82%
- Max
- 24.83%
- Q3
- 11.22%
- Median
- 5.94%
- HRL
- 2.82%
- Q1
- 2.05%
- Min
- -11.49%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
-13.99%
- Max
- 24.83%
- Q3
- 11.22%
- Median
- 5.94%
- Q1
- 2.05%
- Min
- -11.49%
- KHC
- -13.99%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Hormel Foods (HRL) at 8.62% and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 16.47% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
8.62%
- Max
- 34.91%
- Q3
- 17.57%
- Median
- 11.06%
- HRL
- 8.62%
- Q1
- 4.15%
- Min
- -15.06%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
16.47%
- Max
- 34.91%
- Q3
- 17.57%
- KHC
- 16.47%
- Median
- 11.06%
- Q1
- 4.15%
- Min
- -15.06%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 4.29% | -8.95% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.63% | 3.56% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 2.82% | -13.99% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 8.62% | 16.47% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 15.74% | 33.65% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Hormel Foods (HRL) at 1.56% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) at -3.50% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Hormel Foods (HRL) at -40.82% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) at -318.14% falls below its industry range, a notably weak earnings reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.56% | -3.50% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -0.95% | -1.98% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -40.82% | -318.14% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -21.81% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Hormel Foods (HRL) at 1.88 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 1.02 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for KHC.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.88
- Max
- 4.01
- Q3
- 2.35
- HRL
- 1.88
- Median
- 1.53
- Q1
- 1.02
- Min
- 0.33
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.02
- Max
- 4.01
- Q3
- 2.35
- Median
- 1.53
- Q1
- 1.02
- KHC
- 1.02
- Min
- 0.33
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Hormel Foods (HRL) at 0.36 and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 0.50 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.36
- Max
- 2.19
- Q3
- 1.11
- Median
- 0.68
- HRL
- 0.36
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.00
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.50
- Max
- 2.19
- Q3
- 1.11
- Median
- 0.68
- KHC
- 0.50
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.88 | 1.02 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.36 | 0.50 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.57 | 2.98 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Hormel Foods (HRL) at 5.17% and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 6.32% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
5.17%
- Max
- 9.38%
- HRL
- 5.17%
- Q3
- 3.77%
- Median
- 1.76%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
6.32%
- Max
- 9.38%
- KHC
- 6.32%
- Q3
- 3.77%
- Median
- 1.76%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Hormel Foods (HRL) reports payout ratio above 100% at 188.31%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports 73.06%, ranking against industry peers normally.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
188.31%
- Max
- 199.19%
- HRL
- 188.31%
- Q3
- 81.03%
- Median
- 41.52%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
73.06%
- Max
- 199.19%
- Q3
- 81.03%
- KHC
- 73.06%
- Median
- 41.52%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 5.17% | 6.32% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 188.31% | 73.06% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at 35.40 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Kraft Heinz (KHC) has no P/E ratio this period.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
35.40
- Max
- 52.52
- HRL
- 35.40
- Q3
- 30.78
- Median
- 18.76
- Q1
- 12.77
- Min
- 4.72
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
--
- Max
- 52.52
- Q3
- 30.78
- Median
- 18.76
- Q1
- 12.77
- Min
- 4.72
- KHC
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Hormel Foods (HRL) at 0.99 and Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 1.18 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.99
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.27
- Median
- 1.17
- HRL
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.52
- Min
- 0.00
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.18
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.27
- KHC
- 1.18
- Median
- 1.17
- Q1
- 0.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Kraft Heinz (KHC) at 0.81 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Hormel Foods (HRL) at 1.54 is valued near its industry’s middle — KHC is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
HRL
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.54
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.07
- Median
- 1.58
- HRL
- 1.54
- Q1
- 0.82
- Min
- 0.00
KHC
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.81
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.07
- Median
- 1.58
- Q1
- 0.82
- KHC
- 0.81
- Min
- 0.00
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | HRL | KHC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 35.40 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.99 | 1.18 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.54 | 0.81 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 5.15% | 10.95% |