Want to see GB:HFG full AI Analyst Report?
Hilton Food (HFG) AI Stock Analysis
Top Page
Hilton Food
(LSE:HFG)
The score is held back primarily by weaker financial quality—especially inconsistent cash generation and elevated leverage—despite continued profitability. Offsetting this, technicals are supportive with the stock above major moving averages and positive momentum indicators. Valuation is a mild headwind due to a high P/E, partially balanced by a moderate dividend yield.
Hilton Food (HFG) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
- Market Cap
- GBP 647.23M
- Dividend Yield
- 4.86%
- Average Volume (3M)
- 191.60K
- Price to Earnings (P/E)
- 31.3
- Beta (1Y)
- 0.60
- Revenue Growth
- 6.63%
- EPS Growth
- -47.51%
- Country
- UK
- Employees
- 7,400
- Sector
- Consumer Defensive
- Sector Strength
- 62
- Industry
- Packaged Foods
Hilton Food Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Hilton Food Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the food packing business. The company provides meats; soups, sandwiches and wraps, reflecting international cuisine and local tastes, and ready to cook food; smoked salmon, wet fish,...
How the Company Makes Money
Hilton Food makes money mainly by supplying chilled food products—most notably packaged fresh meat and other protein/seafood categories—to large retail customers under long-term, high-volume supply arrangements. Revenue is generated from the sale of...
Hilton Food Earnings Call Summary
The call presents a mixed picture: the group has a resilient core meat business, strong liquidity (refinanced GBP 450m RCF) and has realized material value from disposals, with growth projects (Canada, Saudi Arabia, Poland) progressing. However, these positives are counterbalanced by material underperformance and cash/exceptional costs in seafood, vegetarian/vegan segments (Seachill, Foppen, Dalco), inventory write-offs and restructuring charges, and a guidance-led reduction in adjusted PBT for 2026. Management has set a clear strategic plan and financial framework to address weaknesses and target mid-single-digit operating profit growth and >20% ROCE over the medium term, but there are material near-term headwinds and elevated capex/cash demands.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Negative Updates
Company Guidance
The company reiterated 2026 guidance of adjusted PBT of GBP 60–65m (unchanged since January) after reporting FY2025 adjusted PBT of GBP 73.2m (down c.3% y/y; continuing PBT GBP 69.0m, down 1%), adjusted EPS 56p (‑7.4%) and a tax rate of c.30%; volumes from continuing operations were +0.2% while constant‑currency revenue rose 11.9% and constant‑currency operating profit fell 4.4% (operating margin 2.3% v 2.6% prior). Balance sheet and cash metrics include net bank debt of GBP 126.7m (net debt/EBITDA 0.9x), a GBP 450m 5‑year RCF, core net CapEx of GBP 46.5m in 2025 (core CapEx guidance GBP 50–55m in 2026), GBP 55m spent to date on the Canada project (expected to contribute from 2027 with full benefits by 2029), planned Poland capacity investment of up to GBP 30m, expected net debt increase in 2026, target cash‑flow conversion ~100% (FCF/net income) and a group ROCE target ≥20% (20.1% in 2025, likely below 20% in 2026). Notable one‑offs and provisions: non‑underlying/exceptional net profit GBP 29.3m (including disposal profits of GBP 66.5m), inventory write‑off GBP 18.4m, Foppen relocation cash costs GBP 9.2m, reorganization costs GBP 9.6m (vs GBP 4.2m in 2024) with expected restructuring spend GBP 5–10m p.a.; the medium‑term aim is mid‑single‑digit average operating profit growth, disciplined investment and progressive dividends (FY DPS 35p, +1.4%, final dividend flat).
Hilton Food Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income statement is moderate (58) with modest recent growth but signs of margin pressure (gross profit and EBITDA down YoY). Balance sheet is somewhat weak (52) due to meaningful leverage despite acceptable ROE. Cash flow is the main drag (44) with operating cash flow down sharply in 2025 and free cash flow turning negative, reducing financial resilience.
Income Statement
58NeutralBalance Sheet
52NeutralCash Flow
44Neutral| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 4.41B | 4.21B | 3.99B | 3.99B | 3.85B | 3.30B |
| Gross Profit | 353.70M | 359.40M | 456.90M | 430.35M | 295.05M | 295.13M |
| EBITDA | 125.20M | 138.30M | 178.70M | 163.59M | 140.86M | 131.34M |
| Net Income | 20.60M | 47.90M | 39.30M | 36.38M | 17.71M | 37.14M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 1.32B | 1.35B | 1.24B | 1.29B | 1.30B | 1.17B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 131.70M | 150.50M | 112.00M | 126.70M | 87.22M | 140.17M |
| Total Debt | 520.20M | 475.30M | 449.30M | 493.29M | 544.95M | 468.13M |
| Total Liabilities | 981.80M | 982.20M | 919.60M | 967.77M | 990.47M | 859.48M |
| Stockholders Equity | 331.30M | 365.90M | 306.60M | 310.31M | 294.36M | 301.40M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | -2.40M | -18.70M | 49.90M | 107.32M | 3.93M | 30.92M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 82.10M | 70.10M | 124.50M | 166.93M | 60.69M | 88.29M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -27.60M | -16.50M | -62.30M | -54.80M | -139.06M | -98.81M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -17.00M | -18.00M | -72.60M | -71.35M | 24.82M | 27.81M |
Hilton Food Technical Analysis
Price Trends
Market Momentum
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:HFG, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 719.50 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 706.61, above the 50-day MA of 682.35, and above the 200-day MA of 552.42, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 9.97 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 63.96 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 49.58 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:HFG.
Hilton Food Peers Comparison
Overall Rating
GB:CWK78Outperform
GB:PFD69Neutral
GB:GNC61Neutral- GB:HFG58Neutral
Financial Indicators
| Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB:CWK | 78Outperform | GBP 2.87B | 18.23 | 14.99% | 2.10% | 9.52% | 18.08% |
| GB:PFD | 69Neutral | GBP 1.75B | 13.23 | 9.74% | 1.65% | 2.31% | 9.04% |
| Sector * | 62Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% |
| GB:GNC | 61Neutral | GBP 2.35B | 93.97 | 0.73% | 0.89% | 25.76% | -73.03% |
| GB:HFG | 58Neutral | GBP 646.17M | 31.28 | 5.91% | 4.86% | 6.63% | -47.51% |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
Performance Comparison
| Show on chart | Ticker | Company Name | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB:HFG | Hilton Food | 719.50 | 116.93 | 19.40% | |
| GB:CWK | Cranswick plc | 5360.00 | 521.90 | 10.79% | |
| GB:PFD | Premier Foods | 203.20 | 24.37 | 13.62% | |
| GB:ZAM | Zambeef Product | 5.00 | -0.05 | -0.99% | |
| GB:GNC | Greencore Group plc | 293.20 | 60.18 | 25.83% |
Hilton Food Corporate Events
Hilton Food CFO Exercises LTIP Options and Increases Shareholding
PositiveHilton Food Group has disclosed that its Chief Financial Officer, Matt Osborne, exercised 1,446 ordinary share options under the company’s Long Term Incentive Plan at nil cost, choosing to personally settle the associated tax and National Insur...
Hilton Food CEO Mark Allen Increases Stake with Share Purchase
PositiveHilton Food Group has disclosed that Chief Executive Officer Mark Allen purchased 14,500 ordinary shares in the company on 15 September 2026 at a price of £6.82 per share. Following this market transaction, Allen’s total holding has increa...
Hilton Food CFO Increases Stake with Share Purchase
PositiveHilton Food Group reported that its Chief Financial Officer, Matt Osborne, purchased 12,008 ordinary shares of the company at £6.66 each, increasing his total holding to 25,990 shares. The transaction, conducted on the London Stock Exchange on 1...
Hilton Food lifts profit guidance as core meat growth offsets seafood drag
PositiveHilton Food Group reported interim adjusted profit before tax from continuing operations of £32.8m, down 5.2% year on year but ahead of expectations, as core meat and fresh prepared foods delivered good growth while seafood unit Foppen faced mar...
Hilton Food strengthens board with appointment of Gwyn Burr as non-executive director
PositiveHilton Food Group has appointed experienced food retail and public company executive Gwyn Burr as a Non-executive Director and Chair of its Remuneration and Sustainability Committees, effective 3 September 2026. Burr’s extensive board and execu...
Hilton Food Ties Executive LTIP Awards to EPS, TSR and ESG Targets
PositiveHilton Food Group has granted new awards under its 2019 Long-Term Incentive Plan to several senior executives, including the chief executive, chief financial officer, and regional chief operating officers. The awards, structured as nil-cost options o...
Hilton Food Sells Loss-Making Dutch Vegan Unit to Refocus on Core Meat Business
PositiveHilton Food Group has agreed to sell its Dutch-based vegan and vegetarian subsidiary Dalco Food B.V. to Livekindly Production NL B.V. for £5.4m, subject to standard approvals including consultation with the local works council. The move aligns w...
Hilton Food Group Tightens Governance With New Nomination Committee Chair
PositiveHilton Food Group plc has announced a boardroom change, appointing non‑executive director Mark Clare as Chair of its Nomination Committee with immediate effect. The move refines the company’s governance structure, signalling continued att...
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.
Date of analysis: Oct 03, 2026