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Cranswick
(LSE:CWK)
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Select Model
Rating:65Neutral
Price Target:
5,751.00 p
â–²(7.70% Upside)
Action:Downgraded
Date:08/21/26
The score is driven primarily by solid financial performance (steady growth, improving margins, and manageable leverage), partially offset by weaker cash conversion and a recent uptick in debt. Technical signals are neutral-to-soft (negative MACD and price below the 50-day average), while valuation appears reasonable but not particularly cheap given the P/E and dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Steady Revenue Growth
Multi-year revenue expansion indicates durable demand across Cranswick’s pork, poultry, and convenience-food categories. Continued growth supports scale benefits and reinforces its role as a major supplier to UK retail and foodservice customers.
Negative Factors
Weak Cash Conversion
Cash generation is positive but trails accounting profit, indicating working-capital requirements or investment spending can absorb earnings. Persistently weak conversion could limit internally funded growth and reduce financial flexibility.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Steady Revenue Growth
Multi-year revenue expansion indicates durable demand across Cranswick’s pork, poultry, and convenience-food categories. Continued growth supports scale benefits and reinforces its role as a major supplier to UK retail and foodservice customers.
Read all positive factors
Cranswick (CWK) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£2.80B
Dividend Yield2.16%
Average Volume (3M)115.45K
Price to Earnings (P/E)17.8
Beta (1Y)0.65
Revenue Growth9.52%
EPS Growth18.08%
CountryUK
Employees13,114
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryPackaged Foods
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)2.94
Shares Outstanding54,306,200
10 Day Avg. Volume99,079
30 Day Avg. Volume115,450
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.99
Price to Book (P/B)2.57
Price to Sales (P/S)0.94
P/FCF Ratio27.35
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£6,162.50Price Target Upside15.40% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering4
EPS Forecast (FY)3.17
Revenue Forecast (FY)£3.16B
Cranswick Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Established in 1972 and headquartered in Hessle, UK, Cranswick plc is a leading British firm dedicated to manufacturing and supplying a comprehensive range of food products. The company caters to a diverse clientele, including grocery retailers, t...
How the Company Makes Money
Cranswick makes money by manufacturing and selling food products—predominantly pork and, increasingly, poultry—into UK retail and foodservice markets, earning revenue from high-volume supply agreements and ongoing customer demand for fresh, prepar...
Cranswick Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
78
Positive
Balance Sheet
74
Positive
Cash Flow
63
Positive
| Breakdown | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 2.98B | 2.72B | 2.60B | 2.32B | 2.01B |
| Gross Profit | 471.50M | 408.80M | 376.90M | 295.70M | 276.80M |
| EBITDA | 336.40M | 280.70M | 253.60M | 220.00M | 199.00M |
| Net Income | 158.30M | 134.30M | 113.10M | 111.40M | 103.50M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 1.74B | 1.53B | 1.38B | 1.26B | 1.14B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 12.50M | 5.90M | 27.00M | 20.40M | 200.00K |
| Total Debt | 253.30M | 178.30M | 126.50M | 121.70M | 106.20M |
| Total Liabilities | 648.40M | 543.30M | 472.50M | 421.50M | 373.60M |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.09B | 987.90M | 911.50M | 842.90M | 768.90M |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | 102.30M | 78.70M | 127.90M | 64.10M | 64.70M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 268.40M | 216.30M | 228.40M | 149.20M | 158.40M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -195.20M | -160.40M | -123.30M | -83.80M | -130.90M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -66.60M | -77.00M | -93.40M | -45.30M | -66.30M |
Cranswick Technical Analysis
Negative
5340.00
Price Trends
5375.93
Negative
5355.82
Negative
5218.96
Negative
Market Momentum
-27.37
Positive
37.29
Neutral
9.08
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:CWK, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 5340 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 5296.50, below the 50-day MA of 5375.93, and above the 200-day MA of 5218.96, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -27.37 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 37.29 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 9.08 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for GB:CWK.
Cranswick Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
80 Outperform | £1.68B | 12.72 | 9.74% | 1.72% | 2.31% | 9.04% | |
67 Neutral | £14.48B | 15.46 | 8.44% | 3.09% | -2.16% | -24.87% | |
65 Neutral | £2.80B | 17.79 | 14.99% | 2.16% | 9.52% | 18.08% | |
63 Neutral | £2.02B | 81.79 | 0.73% | 1.02% | 25.76% | -73.03% | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% | |
56 Neutral | £626.86M | 30.35 | 5.91% | 5.09% | 6.63% | -47.51% |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
GB:CWK
Cranswick
5,200.00
244.38
4.93%
GB:ABF
Associated British Foods
2,039.00
-133.23
-6.13%
GB:HFG
Hilton Food
687.00
57.06
9.06%
GB:PFD
Premier Foods
195.70
10.96
5.93%
GB:GNC
Greencore
255.80
13.38
5.52%
Cranswick Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Cranswick Issues New Shares to Fulfil Employee Save As You Earn Options
Neutral
Aug 17, 2026
Cranswick has issued and allotted 1,053 new ordinary shares of 10 pence each to satisfy employee options granted under its 2023 Save As You Earn Plan. These new shares, which are fully fungible with existing stock and carry ISIN GB0002318888, were...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Confirms Total Voting Rights Following Share Capital Update
Neutral
Aug 3, 2026
Cranswick plc reported that, as of 31 July 2026, it has 54,306,200 ordinary shares of 10p each in issue, with each share carrying one voting right and no shares held in treasury. This confirms the company’s total voting rights at 54,306,200,...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Director Reports Routine Share Transfer Into ISA
Neutral
Aug 3, 2026
Cranswick disclosed that director Tracy Bottomley conducted a routine share transfer involving the company’s ordinary shares, moving holdings into an Individual Savings Account structure. The transaction, carried out on 30 July 2026 on the L...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Director Reports Routine Share Transfer into ISA
Neutral
Aug 3, 2026
Cranswick has disclosed a routine share transaction by board director John Mark Bottomley, in line with regulatory requirements for persons discharging managerial responsibilities. The move underscores the company’s adherence to U.K. market ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsRegulatory Filings and ComplianceShareholder Meetings
Cranswick shareholders back AGM resolutions amid governance scrutiny
Positive
Jul 27, 2026
Cranswick has reported that all resolutions at its 2026 annual general meeting were approved on a poll vote, including the receipt of the annual report, the remuneration report, a final dividend, the re-election of board members, auditor reappoint...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Cranswick Delivers Volume-Led Growth and Steps Up Investment in Poultry and Pork
Positive
Jul 27, 2026
Cranswick reported a strong start to its new financial year, with first-quarter reported revenue up 5.5% and like-for-like sales 4% higher, driven by robust volume growth as lower input costs were passed on to customers. Demand was particularly st...
Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Director Adds Shares Under Employee Incentive Plan
Positive
Jul 23, 2026
Cranswick plc disclosed that director Christopher Aldersley acquired two ordinary shares of 10 pence each as partnership shares under the company’s 2024 Buy As You Earn Share Incentive Plan. The purchase, made on 21 July 2026 via the London ...
Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Directors Exercise Options and Sell Shares Under Long-Term Incentive Plans
Neutral
Jul 9, 2026
Cranswick has disclosed that four board directors exercised share options under its Long Term Incentive Plan and Company Share Option Scheme, and sold part of the resulting shares on 8 July 2026 at an average price of 5,555.6 pence. Under the comp...
Business Operations and Strategy
Cranswick Issues New Shares to Satisfy Employee Incentive Options
Neutral
Jul 6, 2026
Cranswick plc has issued and allotted 4,792 new ordinary shares of 10 pence each to satisfy options exercised under its 2023 Save As You Earn Plan and 2018 Long Term Incentive Plan. The new shares, admitted to trading under existing block admissio...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Confirms Total Voting Rights at 54.3 Million Shares
Neutral
Jul 3, 2026
Cranswick plc has confirmed that, as at 30 June 2026, it has 54,305,147 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in issue, with every share carrying one voting right. The company holds no shares in treasury, meaning the total number of voting rights avail...
Business Operations and Strategy
Cranswick Director Adds Shares Under Employee Incentive Plan
Positive
Jun 23, 2026
Cranswick plc has disclosed that director Christopher Aldersley acquired ordinary shares in the company on 22 June 2026 through its 2024 Buy As You Earn Share Incentive Plan. As part of the regular monthly purchase programme, he bought a small num...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Cranswick ties fresh executive LTIP awards to EPS, ROCE and TSR targets
Positive
Jun 3, 2026
Cranswick has granted new nil-cost options under its Long Term Incentive Plan to executive directors, comprising core and exceptional performance awards over ordinary shares. The core awards to Adam Couch, Mark Bottomley, Jim Brisby and Chris Alde...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Confirms Total Voting Rights at 54.3 Million Shares
Neutral
Jun 1, 2026
Cranswick has confirmed that, as of 29 May 2026, it has 54,303,220 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in issue, with every share carrying one voting right and no shares held in treasury. This establishes the company’s total voting rights at 54...
Other
Cranswick Director Adds Shares Under 2024 Incentive Plan
Positive
May 26, 2026
Cranswick plc disclosed that director Christopher Aldersley acquired a small number of ordinary shares on 21 May 2026 under the company’s 2024 Buy As You Earn Share Incentive Plan, as part of a routine monthly purchase of “Partnership ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Cranswick Director Brisby Sells Shares in Governance-Related Disclosure
Neutral
May 22, 2026
Cranswick plc has disclosed that director James Robert Brisby sold ordinary shares in the company on 22 May 2026 as part of his personal financial planning. The transactions, executed on the London Stock Exchange, involved the sale of 16,500 share...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.