Smithfield Foods Raises Quarterly Dividend 25% to $0.3125 Per Share

Smithfield Foods Inc, a food processing and packaged meats company, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.3125 per share on March 23, 2026, payable to shareholders of record on April 7, 2026. The dividend will be paid on April 21, 2026. Read more dividend announcements.

The new quarterly rate represents a 25% increase from the prior quarter's $0.25 per share. Smithfield expects to maintain the $0.3125 quarterly rate for the remainder of fiscal 2026, bringing the projected annual dividend to $1.25 per share, up from $1.00 per share paid in fiscal 2025.

Financial Position

As of December 28, 2025, Smithfield reported available liquidity of $3,837 million, consisting of $1,539 million in cash and cash equivalents and $2,298 million in availability under committed credit facilities. The company ended the year with a net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio of 0.3x on a trailing twelve-month basis.

Operating profit for the twelve months ended December 28, 2025 reached $1,292 million, up 15.6% from $1,118 million in the prior year. The Packaged Meats segment generated operating profit of $1,094 million, while Fresh Pork contributed $214 million and Hog Production delivered $176 million, compared to a loss of $144 million in the prior year.

Fiscal 2026 Outlook

Smithfield projects total company sales to grow in the low-single-digits for fiscal 2026. The company expects adjusted operating profit between $1,325 million and $1,475 million, with capital expenditures ranging from $350 million to $450 million.

The Packaged Meats segment is forecast to generate adjusted operating profit of $1,100 million to $1,200 million, while Fresh Pork is expected to contribute $200 million to $260 million. Hog Production segment adjusted operating profit is projected at $150 million to $200 million. The fiscal 2026 outlook includes 53 weeks of results and an effective tax rate between 22.5% and 24.5%.