# Hilton Food Group plc (HFG.L) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. LSE, United Kingdom. Sector: Consumer Defensive / Food & Staples Retailing. Price 678p, market value 610 millionp.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 18.3×** (5-yr avg 2084.3×, 3-yr avg 1685.2×). Hilton Food Group plc trades at 18.3× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 2084.3×: cheap by its own standards. The Consumer Defensive median in the September 2026 study was 20.1×. Forward P/E is 11.7×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 0.50**. A PEG of 0.50 means the P/E is low relative to expected earnings growth: the market is not paying much for that growth.
- **Price / sales: 0.1×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.1×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 1.7×**. The shares trade at 1.7× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 3.1×**. Enterprise value is 3.1× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 6.2%** (5-yr avg 0.0%). Free cash flow equals 6.2% of the market value, above its five-year average of 0.0%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 5.5%**. The inverse of the P/E: 5.5% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 9.9%**. Hilton Food Group plc keeps 9.9% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 2.0%**. 2.0% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 1.1%**. 1.1% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 13.1%**. 13.1% on shareholders' equity is solid.
- **Return on invested capital: 17.7%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 17.7%: comfortably above what that capital costs.
- **Return on assets: 6.4%**. Each dollar of assets produces 6.4% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 5.7%** (3-yr 3.1%/yr, 5-yr 8.7%/yr). Revenue grew 5.7% over the last year, against 8.7% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 23.3%** (3-yr 38.4%/yr, 5-yr 2.0%/yr). Earnings per share rose 23.3%, faster than revenue, so margins expanded or the share count shrank.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 1.30**. Debt is 1.30 times equity, a leveraged balance sheet that needs steady cash flow to service.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 1.1×**. It would take 1.1 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Interest coverage: 2.2×**. Operating profit covers interest 2.2×, thin but manageable.
- **Current ratio: 1.10** (quick 0.69). Current assets cover the next year's liabilities 1.10 times.
- **Altman Z-score: 4.07**. A Z-score of 4.07 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 6/9**. 6 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 5.01%** (0p per share, trailing). Hilton Food Group plc yields 5.01%, an income-level yield.
- **Payout ratio: 66%** (160% of free cash flow). 66% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 19**. 19 straight years of increases, a record that survived at least one recession.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 9.3%/yr** (1-yr 7.4%). The dividend has grown 9.3% a year over five years.
- **Shareholder yield: 5.0%**. Dividends plus net buybacks return 5.0% of the market value a year.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (6 analysts). 6 analysts cover Hilton Food Group plc; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of 701p (+3% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 1.4%** (YTD 38.9%, 3-mo 37.0%). The shares are up 1.4% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -8.1%** (51.4% above the low). Trading 8% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 80**. An RSI of 80 is in overbought territory; short-term pullbacks are common from here.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.51** (volatility 36%). Beta of 0.51 against the FTSE All-Share: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=HFG.L · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/hfg.l

Not investment advice.