Fact based stock research
ABF (LSE:ABF)

GB0006731235

How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

ABF stock research in summary

abf.co.uk

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 53 (better than 53% compared with investment alternatives), ABF (Packaged Foods & Meats, United Kingdom) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of ABF are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 63 (better than 63% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 81, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 23). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 53, is a buy recommendation based on ABF's financial characteristics. As the company ABF's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 63) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 23) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 81), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 63% of comparable companies, may also indicate that the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	63
Growth Rank	23
Safety Rank	81
Combined Rank	53

Country	United Kingdom
Industry	Packaged Foods & Meats
Index	FTSE All Shares, FTSE 100, FTSE 350, Low Emissions, Energy Efficient, Human Rights, Water Efficiency
Size class	X-Large

This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.

31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: ABF

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	44	32	73	63
GROWTH
GROWTH	36	94	19	23
SAFETY
SAFETY	62	80	84	81
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	82	66	23	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	68	92	55	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 31-Jul-2025. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 1-Mar-2025. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better ABF is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	44	32	73	63
GROWTH
GROWTH	36	94	19	23
SAFETY
SAFETY	62	80	84	81
COMBINED
COMBINED	38	89	65	53

Last update of combined financial performance: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of ABF the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 63 (better than 63% compared with alternatives), ABF shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators that are all above average for ABF. Price-to-Sales is 55 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 55% of comparable companies, indicating a good value for ABF's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits, more favorable than for 73% of alternatives, and this is also true for the Price-to-Book capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 65. Compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields of ABF are expected to be higher than for 51% of all competitors (a Dividend Yield rank of 51). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 63, is a buy recommendation based on ABF's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since all value metrics are above the industry average, there is no objection to investing in ABF based on its detailed value metrics. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	49	38	59	55
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	50	42	74	73
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	58	45	70	65
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	37	37	58	51
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	44	32	73	63

Last update of Value Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of ABF; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 23 (better than 23% compared with alternatives), ABF shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for ABF. Only Capital Growth has a good rank of 54, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 9% of its competitors. The other three indicators are pointing South: Sales Growth has a rank of 49 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 51% of its competitors. Profit Growth with a rank of 9 and Stock Returns with a rank of 35 are also low (below 65% of alternative investments). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 23, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The good news from the invested capital side is surprising. A company with disappointing revenues, profits, and disappointed shareholders typically doesn't invest above average. Overall, the growth momentum for ABF is thus negative. As it is intriguing to see that company executives are optimistic about their investment policy, it is worthwhile looking into the details of the capital investment projects. They may indicate future growth and profits and thus if accompanied by a good value, a sign of good timing to invest in the stock. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is limited here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	45	76	50	49
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	82	78	21	9
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	39	31	44	54
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	20	98	21	35
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	36	94	19	23

Last update of Growth Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of ABF.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 81 (better than 81% compared with alternatives) for 2025, the company ABF has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of ABF is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, where all three are above average for ABF. Leverage is at 76, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 76% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 53, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 53% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 85, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 85% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 81 (better than 81% compared with alternatives), ABF has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. Investors may not have a debt issue with ABF but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	73	83	79	76
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	52	56	60	53
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	54	61	84	85
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	62	80	84	81

Last update of Safety Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of ABF and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2022	2023	2024	2025
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	31	15	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	75	72	12	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	72	62	29	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	41	61	67	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	82	66	23	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for ABF.
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