Marzetti’s (MZTI) Equal Weight Rating Reiterated at Stephens

Stephens reiterated their equal weight rating on shares of Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Stephens currently has a $190.00 price target on the stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Marzetti from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marzetti in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their target price on Marzetti from $179.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $188.00.

Marzetti Stock Down 0.5%

Marzetti stock opened at $154.70 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $166.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $170.95. The stock has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.69 and a beta of 0.39. Marzetti has a 12-month low of $152.95 and a 12-month high of $198.39.

Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $509.77 million during the quarter. Marzetti had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 18.55%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marzetti will post 6.8 EPS for the current year.

Marzetti Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Marzetti’s payout ratio is 61.26%.

Institutional Trading of Marzetti

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Marzetti by 11.7% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 163,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,242,000 after buying an additional 17,187 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp boosted its position in Marzetti by 17.6% during the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 24,873 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,297,000 after acquiring an additional 3,727 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Marzetti during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $208,000. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marzetti by 50.4% in the second quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC now owns 42,666 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,371,000 after purchasing an additional 14,290 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Marzetti by 71.8% in the second quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 23,929 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,134,000 after purchasing an additional 9,999 shares in the last quarter. 66.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Marzetti

Here are the key news stories impacting Marzetti this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Announced agreement to acquire Bachan’s, adding a premium Asian sauce brand and immediate scale in specialty sauces — a strategic growth move that supports revenue diversification and higher-margin expansion. The Marzetti Company Announces Agreement to Acquire Bachan’s, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Local press highlights the Bachan’s deal value (~$400M sale), underscoring the scale and strategic premium-brand rationale behind the acquisition. This helps justify management’s M&A-driven growth thesis. Sebastopol maker of Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce selling for $400 million
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported record gross profit in the quarter and management framed the Bachan’s acquisition as a strategic complement to product expansion — positives for medium-term margin upside if integration succeeds. The Marzetti Co (MZTI) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and $184 price target — a constructive mid-term view but not a buy signal; implies upside vs. current price but cautious stance. Benzinga: DA Davidson rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens reiterated an Equal Weight rating while lowering its price target to $180, signaling tempered upside expectations even as coverage remains broadly neutral. Stephens Reiterates Equal Weight Rating for Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary pieces provide mixed views on consumer staples dynamics; analysts are weighing Marzetti’s premium-brand push against softer category volume trends. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Goods Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 EPS missed consensus (reported $2.15 vs. $2.23 est.), triggering a gap down and increased selling pressure as traders repriced near-term profitability. Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) Shares Gap Down After Earnings Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary and analysis describe a “bitter plunge” after the miss, highlighting investor sensitivity to volume pressures and near-term demand softness. The Marzetti Company’s Bitter Plunge
• Negative Sentiment: Deep-dive reporting flags volume pressures in core categories despite product expansion and M&A — a risk to meeting street revenue/volume expectations near-term. MZTI Q4 Deep Dive: Acquisition and Product Expansion Amid Volume Pressures

Marzetti Company Profile

Lancaster Colony Corporation engages in the manufacturing and marketing of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice channels in the United States. It operates in two segments, Retail and Foodservice. The company offers frozen garlic bread under the New York BRAND Bakery; frozen Parkerhouse style yeast and dinner rolls under the Sister Schubert's brand; salad dressings under the Marzetti, Simply Dressed, Cardini's, and Girard's brands; vegetable and fruit dips under the Marzetti brand; croutons and salad toppings under the New York BRAND Bakery, Chatham Village, and Marzetti brands; and frozen pasta under the Marzetti Frozen Pasta brand.