BlackRock Inc. Takes Position in The Marzetti Company $MZTI

BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Marzetti Company (NASDAQ:MZTI) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 2,742,494 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $313,083,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 0.10% of Marzetti as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MZTI. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC purchased a new position in Marzetti during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Marzetti in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Marzetti in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Marzetti in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Marzetti during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. 66.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Marzetti

Here are the key news stories impacting Marzetti this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marzetti reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $1.46 per share on revenue of approximately $465.0 million. Adjusted earnings increased 9%, while improved margins and new product launches helped offset the sales decline. Marzetti Stock Confirms Reversal on Earnings Strength, Dividend Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects gross margin to expand by about 100 basis points in fiscal 2027, supporting the outlook for continued profitability. The company’s dividend-growth record and reported institutional buying may also provide support for the stock. Marzetti expects 100 bps gross margin growth in fiscal 2027
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens reaffirmed its “equal weight” rating and set a $140 price target, while DA Davidson maintained a “neutral” view with a $130 target. Both targets remain above the referenced share price, but the DA Davidson reduction from $168 signals lower expectations for near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Consolidated fourth-quarter sales declined 2.2% to $465.0 million. Although sales increased after excluding the prior year’s temporary $12.2 million Winland Foods supply-agreement revenue, the headline miss versus analyst expectations likely pressured the shares. The Marzetti Company Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Results
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned that Cyclospora-related costs could create an approximately 250-basis-point gross-margin headwind in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, temporarily offsetting the expected full-year margin gains.

Marzetti Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MZTI opened at $113.45 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.70. The firm has a market cap of $3.11 billion, a PE ratio of 16.28 and a beta of 0.32. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $127.06. The Marzetti Company has a 1-year low of $104.28 and a 1-year high of $186.95.

Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 25th. The company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $465.03 million for the quarter. Marzetti had a net margin of 9.93% and a return on equity of 18.22%.

Marzetti Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Marzetti’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.60%.

Insider Activity at Marzetti

In related news, insider Luis Viso sold 1,221 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.31, for a total value of $133,467.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $210,312.44. This represents a 38.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 29.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MZTI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Marzetti in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of Marzetti in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price target on Marzetti from $168.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marzetti presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $135.00.

Marzetti 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.