Greencore Group plc (GNC.L)
Greencore quietly feeds millions across the UK every day by turning out millions of ready meals, sandwiches, and salads for major supermarkets.
Is Greencore Group plc a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Deeply embedded relationships with major UK supermarkets. Worth weighing: Extremely thin net profit margins leave little room for operational error. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Greencore Group plc actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Greencore Group plc fell as much as −37% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
long-term shifts toward convenience food solidifying market dominance.
structural rise in operational costs eroding the slim bottom line entirely.
What does Greencore Group plc do?
Whenever you grab a quick meal deal from a high-street chiller cabinet, there is a strong chance Greencore made it behind the scenes. Revenue comes from supplying massive UK supermarkets with high-volume, fresh convenience food day after day. Margins are the number that matters here, so watch how well they defend them while absorbing fluctuating ingredient costs and paying fair wages to their huge workforce.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on growth and momentum, and weakest on income.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.0% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 43% over the year
- !Thin profits - turns only about 0% of sales into profit
- !High P/E of 130 - big growth is already priced in
- Growth screens high (93/100)
- Deeply embedded relationships with major UK supermarkets
- Essential everyday product range that people consume regardless of economic weather
- Solid asset backing with a price-to-book ratio around 1.0
- Quality screens low (24/100)
- Income screens low (18/100)
- Wage inflation impacting large-scale factory staffing costs
- Supply chain disruptions affecting fresh ingredient deliveries
- Intense pressure from supermarket partners to keep wholesale prices low
What do Greencore Group plc's numbers mean?
Does Greencore Group plc pay a dividend?
Yes - Greencore Group plc currently pays a dividend of about 1.0% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about Greencore Group plc's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does Greencore Group plc report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Greencore Group plc is next scheduled to report on about 2026-12-01 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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PepsiCo, Inc.What are the scenarios for Greencore Group plc?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Greencore Group plc?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Deeply embedded relationships with major UK supermarkets
- Essential everyday product range that people consume regardless of economic weather
- Solid asset backing with a price-to-book: The share price versus the company's net assets per share (its book value). Under 1 can look cheap, though it varies a lot by industry. ratio around 1.0
- Extremely thin net profit margins leave little room for operational error
- Heavy reliance on a handful of massive supermarket retail clients
- Vulnerable to sudden increases in agricultural and ingredient prices
- Wage inflation impacting large-scale factory staffing costs
- Supply chain disruptions affecting fresh ingredient deliveries
- Intense pressure from supermarket partners to keep wholesale prices low
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A permanent widening of net profit margins away from near-zero levels
- The loss of a major supermarket supply contract
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.