CPB vs HRL

For growth investors, Campbell Soup Company (CPB) is the stronger pick with 6.

4% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 1. 6% for Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL). Campbell Soup Company (CPB) offers the better valuation at 10. 4x trailing P/E (9. 6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Campbell Soup Company (CPB) a "Hold" — based on 29 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Campbell Soup Company (CPB) is the cheapest at 10.

4x versus Hormel Foods Corporation at 23. 8x. On forward P/E, Campbell Soup Company is actually cheaper at 9. 6x.

Over the past 5 years, Campbell Soup Company (CPB) delivered a total return of -42.

8%, compared to -44. 8% for Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: HRL returned -21. 7% versus CPB's -44. 5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Campbell Soup Company (CPB) is the lower-risk stock at -0.

02β versus Hormel Foods Corporation's 0. 15β — meaning HRL is approximately -966% more volatile than CPB relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 36% versus 185% for Campbell Soup Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Campbell Soup Company (CPB) is pulling ahead at 6.

4% versus 1. 6% for Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Campbell Soup Company grew EPS 6. 3% year-over-year, compared to -40. 8% for Hormel Foods Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, CPB leads at 6. 2% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Campbell Soup Company (CPB) is the more profitable company, earning 5.

9% net margin versus 4. 0% for Hormel Foods Corporation — meaning it keeps 5. 9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CPB leads at 13. 2% versus 5. 9% for HRL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CPB leads at 30. 4%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Campbell Soup Company (CPB) trades at 9.

6x forward P/E versus 14. 1x for Hormel Foods Corporation — 4. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for HRL: 31. 6% to $27. 25.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Campbell Soup Company (CPB) offers the highest yield at 7. 3%, versus 5. 6% for Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Campbell Soup Company (CPB) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0.

02), 7. 3% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CPB: -44. 5%, HRL: -21. 7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Consumer Defensive sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: CPB is a small-cap deep-value stock; HRL is a mid-cap income-oriented stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.