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The J. M. Smucker Company (SJM)

Consumer Defensive BalancedS&P 500

The J. M. Smucker Company is a household name that fills kitchen cupboards with jams, peanut butter, coffee, and pet food.

$121.14

Is The J. M. Smucker Company a good stock for a UK beginner?

The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong, recognisable household brands. Worth weighing: Currently struggling to turn a net profit.

No rating · no target price · nothing for sale here
Price+3.2%
= past earnings-report date
Priced in USD. As a UK investor your £ return also moves with the pound-to-dollar exchange rate, even inside an ISA - a stronger pound can trim your £ gains and a weaker pound can add to them, whatever the share price itself does.
52-week range+9% past year
$121.14
Low $88.25High $127.65
Where today's price sits versus its past year - context, not a signal.

Is this normal for this company?

Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.

Price to earnings
11.5now
11.013.3

Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.

Net profit margin
17.1%now
-34.0%17.1%

Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.

How these ranges are built

Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.

What does The J. M. Smucker Company do?

Revenue comes from selling everyday grocery staples like Jif peanut butter and Folgers coffee, making Smucker's a classic American food business. They have recently expanded heavily into the pet food market, which now makes up a significant chunk of their business. Their cost management deserves attention, as recent figures show they are currently spending more than they are bringing in as profit.

On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and momentum, and weakest on quality.

Quick checks
What's strong
What to watch
  • Quality screens low

Does The J. M. Smucker Company pay a dividend?

Yes - The J. M. Smucker Company currently pays a dividend of about 3.8% a year, which is £38 a year for every £1,000 invested (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. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →

What do the numbers say about The J. M. Smucker Company'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.

Dividend yield3.8%£38 a year for every £1,000 invested. The yearly dividend as a percentage of today's price. A very high figure often means the price has fallen because the market expects a cut, so a big yield is a question to look into, not a prize.
Payout ratio86%about 86 in every 100 pounds of profit. The share of profit paid out as dividends. A lower figure leaves headroom; near or above 100% means most or all of the profit is going out as dividends.
Dividend cover1.2×Profit divided by the dividend (the payout ratio the other way up). As a rough convention many income investors like around 2× or more; below 1× means the company paid out more than it earned that year.

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.

Most recent ex-dividend date: 15 May 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →

Does The J. M. Smucker Company have more cash or more debt?

It holds about $58.60M in cash against about $7.13B of debt - so it has net debt of about $7.07B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.

From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.

What do The J. M. Smucker Company's numbers mean?

Forward P/E
10.92
This suggests investors are paying about £10 for every £1 of expected annual profit, which is relatively low compared to many other big-name food companies.
Lower than most of the 59 Consumer Defensive shares we cover
Dividend yield
3.8%
This is the annual cash payout to shareholders as a percentage of the share price, acting as a steady income stream for those holding the stock.
Higher than most of the 59 Consumer Defensive shares we cover
Beta
0.2
A very low beta means the share price tends to be much less jumpy than the wider stock market, acting like a steady anchor during stormy times.
Net margin
-1.5%
This shows that after all expenses are paid, the company is currently operating at a slight loss, highlighting the pressure on their bottom line.
Lower than most of the 59 Consumer Defensive shares we cover

How has it performed?

Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
If you had put $1,000 into The J. M. Smucker Company
$1,032+3%

Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.

How much has The J. M. Smucker Company actually fallen?

−27%

Over the last 2 years of daily prices, The J. M. Smucker Company fell as much as −27% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.

Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.

How has it done year by year?

2022+20%
2023-18%
2024-10%
2025-8%
2026 so far+23%

Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.

A closer look at the numbers

Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'.
$12.54B
Avg volume: How many shares change hands on a typical day. Higher means it's easy to buy or exit without moving the price.
1.66M
Day range: The lowest and highest price the shares traded at during the latest day.
$119.97 – $121.97
52-week range: The lowest and highest the shares have traded over the past year - a sense of how wide the swings have been.
$88.25 – $127.65
Dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone.
3.8%
Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down.
0.25

Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?

One share costs$121.14
Number of shares104 million
So the whole company is worth$12.54bn
A £5 share is not cheaper than a £500 one - it means the company cut itself into more slices. Whether the total looks high or low is what the figures below are for; we don't give a verdict.
How bumpy is it?Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. 0.25
Calm
Wild
Steadier than most

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.

Why has it been moving?▼ -6% past week · ▲ +9% past year

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.

How much money does The J. M. Smucker Company make?

Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.

RevenueNet income
$0$584.85M$1.17B$1.75B$2.34BQ2 25Q3 25Q4 25Q1 26Q2 26
Gross margin
34.3%
Net margin
-1.5%
Return on equity
-2.4%

When does The J. M. Smucker Company report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?

The J. M. Smucker Company is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-24 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.

‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.

The J. M. Smucker Company: reported versus expected earnings per share, recent quarters
ReportedExpected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number.Actual EPSvs expected
2026-08-26$2.22$3.24Beat +46%
2026-06-09$2.64$2.77Beat +5%
2026-02-26$2.26$2.38Beat +5%
2025-11-25$2.10$2.10In line
2025-08-27$1.93$1.90Missed -1%
2025-06-10$2.25$2.31Beat +3%

Across the last 6 quarters here, The J. M. Smucker Company came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.

See who else reports over the next two weeks →

Where these figures come from

Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.

What are the scenarios for The J. M. Smucker Company?

An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.

◀ lowerhigher ▶todayBull▲ UpsideBase• In-lineBear▼ Downside
Bull
+5% to +8%Successful cost-cutting measures improve profit margins.
Base
-2% to +2%Steady sales of core grocery items continue.
Bear
-5% to -10%Rising ingredient costs squeeze the business further.

What are the pros, cons and common questions?

The case each way, and the questions people ask
The bull case

The company successfully pivots to higher-margin premium products.

The bear case

Long-term shift in consumer tastes away from processed foods.

What are the pros and cons of The J. M. Smucker Company?

3bull points
6bear points

A balance check, not a score or verdict.

The bull case3
  • Strong, recognisable household brands
  • Low volatility compared to the wider market
  • Consistent history of paying dividends
The catch3
  • Currently struggling to turn a net profit
  • High exposure to volatile raw material costs
  • Limited growth potential in mature food markets
Key risks3
  • Rising costs for ingredients like coffee beans and peanuts
  • Changing consumer health trends away from processed goods
  • Difficulty passing price increases on to shoppers
What would flip the thesis

The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.

  • A sustained return to positive net profit margins
  • A major acquisition that changes the company's core focus

Common questions about The J. M. Smucker Company

Does The J. M. Smucker Company pay a dividend?

Yes - The J. M. Smucker Company currently pays a dividend of about 3.8% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.

When does The J. M. Smucker Company report earnings next?

The J. M. Smucker Company is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-24. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.

More in Consumer Defensive

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Confidence: medium · data: USD · flags: pe, earnings_growth · Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™
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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.

Prices as of 11 Sep 2026; other figures as of 11 Aug 2026. Prices may be delayed and numbers can go stale - always double-check before acting.