Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on B&G Foods (NYSE:BGS)

B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE:BGS) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 2,560 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 301% compared to the typical daily volume of 639 call options.

Trending Headlines about B&G Foods

Here are a few of the latest headlines about BGS:

• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 outlook, projecting EPS of $0.575–$0.675 versus the $0.57 consensus and revenue of $1.76 billion–$1.80 billion, above the roughly $1.7 billion consensus. B&G Foods targets lower leverage and raises 2026 sales view
• Positive Sentiment: Investors also bought 2,560 call options Wednesday, about 301% above typical volume. This may signal increased bullish positioning, though options activity alone does not confirm a stock outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: B&G Foods aims to reduce leverage to below 6x by mid-2027. Progress toward that goal could ease balance-sheet concerns, but the target underscores that debt remains an important consideration for investors. B&G Foods leverage and sales outlook

B&G Foods Stock Performance

Shares of BGS stock traded up $0.71 on Wednesday, reaching $3.37. The stock had a trading volume of 7,677,548 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,157,508. B&G Foods has a 12 month low of $1.99 and a 12 month high of $6.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $274.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.79 and a beta of 0.56. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $2.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.08.

B&G Foods (NYSE:BGS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 10th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $459.78 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $435.00 million. B&G Foods had a positive return on equity of 10.74% and a negative net margin of 4.00%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.15 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that B&G Foods will post 0.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

B&G Foods Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.0950 per share. This represents a $0.38 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 31st. B&G Foods’s dividend payout ratio is currently -42.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On B&G Foods

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in B&G Foods by 34.7% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 113,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $327,000 after acquiring an additional 29,319 shares during the period. State of Wyoming raised its stake in B&G Foods by 324.6% in the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 57,835 shares of the company’s stock valued at $166,000 after purchasing an additional 44,213 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in B&G Foods by 44.8% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 30,967 shares of the company’s stock worth $89,000 after purchasing an additional 9,579 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of B&G Foods by 15.8% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 94,513 shares of the company’s stock valued at $280,000 after buying an additional 12,915 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Abel Hall LLC acquired a new stake in shares of B&G Foods in the third quarter valued at about $39,000. 66.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Cowen decreased their price target on B&G Foods from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Evercore set a $4.50 price objective on B&G Foods in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $4.00 price objective on B&G Foods in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded B&G Foods from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of B&G Foods from $4.50 to $3.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Sell” and a consensus price target of $3.62.

About B&G Foods

B&G Foods, Inc. is a branded food company headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company manufactures, sells and distributes a portfolio of shelf-stable, frozen and specialty food products through grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, foodservice distributors and e-commerce channels. Its products include vegetables, beans, pickles, condiments, sauces, spices, seasonings, baking products, hot cereals, snacks and frozen foods. B&G Foods’ brand portfolio has included Ortega Mexican foods, Cream of Wheat, Mrs. Dash, Maple Grove Farms, Polaner, Cary’s, Las Palmas, Underwood and B&G pickles, among other consumer food brands.