LONDON, May 19, 2026, 12:06 BST
Cranswick shares jumped on Tuesday after the UK food producer beat annual profit expectations, lifted its dividend and pointed to firm demand across pork, poultry, gourmet products and pet food.
The stock was quoted at 5,560p to sell and 5,580p to buy, up 360p, or 6.90%, while the FTSE 250 mid-cap index was up 0.83%, Hargreaves Lansdown data showed. Hargreaves Lansdown
The timing matters. Food producers are trying to protect margins as fuel, energy and wage costs stay volatile, so Cranswick’s profit beat gave investors a fresh read on whether volume growth and pricing can still work in UK grocery supply chains.
Adjusted pretax profit, a company measure of profit before tax that excludes items it says do not reflect regular trading, rose 11.2% to £220.0 million for the 52 weeks ended March 28. That was above company-compiled analyst estimates of £216.2 million, Reuters reported. Reuters
Revenue rose 9.5% to £2.98 billion, while like-for-like revenue, meaning sales excluding acquisitions before their anniversary dates, was 6.8% higher. UK food revenue grew 9.4%, helped by volume growth of 8.3%; poultry revenue rose 13.9% and made up 20.3% of group revenue, while gourmet products and pet products also posted double-digit growth. James Sharp & Co.
Operating margin, profit as a share of sales, improved to 7.9% from 7.6% on the company’s adjusted measure. Cranswick also proposed a total dividend of 112.5p a share, up 11.4%, extending its run of annual dividend growth to 36 years.
Chief Executive Adam Couch said demand for Cranswick’s products “remains strong” and that early trading in the new financial year was in line with the board’s expectations. He said the company was still watching the Middle East conflict and would “monitor potential implications for our supply chains.”
The company is still spending heavily. It committed £56 million to expand capacity at its Eye fresh poultry site by a further 25% by summer 2027, after investing a record £163 million across the business in the year. That points to confidence, but also raises the execution bar.
The peer read-through was mixed. Hilton Food, another UK-listed meat and fresh-food supplier, also warned of possible Middle East-related effects and said it remained cautious on inflationary pressures, while keeping its annual profit view unchanged, Reuters reported. MarketScreener
Analysts had already leaned positive on the stock. MarketScreener data showed a “buy” mean consensus from nine analysts, with an average target price of £59.07 before Tuesday’s move, against a last close of £52.20. MarketScreener UK
But the rally leaves less room for disappointment. A longer Middle East disruption could keep fuel and logistics costs high, and Cranswick may not be able to pass all of that through to retailers. Heavy capital spending also has to translate into enough volume growth to protect returns.
The next scheduled update is the first-quarter trading statement on July 27, the same day as the annual general meeting. Interim results are due on Nov. 24. Plc
