Ben And Jerry’s Fallout Has Investors Looking At These Food Stocks
The Ben & Jerry’s dispute with parent company Magnum Ice Cream Company has turned a long running brand success story into a fresh source of risk and potential opportunity across packaged food and beverage stocks. The mix of a public boycott call, governance questions and a still growing Ben & Jerry’s business reporting 3% organic sales growth in 2025 provides a complex backdrop to assess. This article breaks that story into practical takeaways and highlights 3 stocks from our Consumer Staples, Packaged Food & Beverage screener that appear more exposed to this news, in ways investors may find either attractive or worth avoiding.
Princes Group (LSE:PRN)
Overview: Princes Group is a long established Liverpool based food and beverage group that supplies retailers and foodservice customers with a wide range of canned foods, pasta, tomato products, soft drinks and edible oils under brands such as Princes, Napolina, Branston Beans, Flora, Mazola and Ragu across the UK and Europe.
Operations: Princes Group generates about £1.87b in revenue, with Foods (£623.2m) its largest segment, followed by Italian (£309.8m), Drinks (£306.0m), Fish (£351.0m) and Oils (£281.5m), and most sales coming from the United Kingdom at £1.37b.
Market Cap: £0.83b
Princes Group sits at the crossroads of everyday consumer staples and current debate around brand values, which could matter more as attention turns to how ice cream peers handle activism and governance. The company has only recently moved into profitability, with high quality earnings and analyst forecasts pointing to further earnings growth, yet its shares trade well below some intrinsic value estimates and analysts see room for upside. Against that, the P/E sits above the European food sector average, the balance sheet relies entirely on external borrowing and auditors have raised going concern warnings. Leadership change at the top in 2026 adds another layer. For investors, that mix of essential brands and elevated risks makes Princes Group a stock worth watching closely.
Princes Group’s earnings story and P/E premium suggest that the simple supermarket shelf story might be masking something bigger. Get the full picture with the analysis report for Princes Group
Pilgrim's Pride (PPC)
Overview: Pilgrim's Pride is a global poultry and pork producer that supplies fresh, frozen and prepared meat products to restaurant chains, foodservice operators and major retailers across the United States, Europe and Mexico under brands such as Pilgrim’s, Just BARE, Moy Park and Richmond.
Operations: Pilgrim's Pride generates most of its revenue from the United States at about US$10.72b, with Europe contributing roughly US$5.52b and Mexico about US$2.20b.
Market Cap: US$7.0b
Pilgrim's Pride is noteworthy in the current Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum governance debate because it offers exposure to everyday protein demand without the same level of headline driven brand activism risk. The company is investing in higher margin prepared foods and branded products, and its shares are trading below some cash flow based value estimates. At the same time, it has experienced weaker quarters and margin pressure. That mix of growth projects, global scale and a lower P/E than many US food peers may be appealing to some investors, while high debt levels, earnings volatility and recent earnings misses highlight the potential downside if input costs or pricing move unfavorably. If you want to see how those trade offs compare with analysts’ expectations and long term forecasts, the analysis report for Pilgrim's Pride provides additional detail.
Pilgrim's Pride sits at the intersection of everyday protein demand and a valuation story that some investors may not have fully pieced together yet. See how the full analyst forecasts for Pilgrim's Pride could shift the risk reward picture in an unexpected way.
Saputo (TSX:SAP)
Overview: Saputo is a Montreal based dairy company that produces and distributes a wide range of cheese, milk, cream, yogurt and dairy ingredient products, along with some dairy alternative beverages, for retail, foodservice and industrial customers across several major markets.
Operations: Saputo generates most of its revenue from the United States at about CA$8.3b, with Canada contributing roughly CA$5.4b, international markets CA$2.6b and Europe about CA$1.3b.
Market Cap: CA$16.53b
Saputo provides direct exposure to packaged dairy foods at a time when the spotlight on Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum is prompting some investors to consider which consumer brands may appear more resilient and less tied to activist driven headlines. The company has reported a shift from a prior loss to a CA$672m profit while still trading below some fair value estimates, and it offers a dividend near 2% alongside a buyback that retired more than 6.5 million shares. At the same time, Saputo’s reliance on traditional dairy, insider selling and a P/E above the broader North American food sector indicate that expectations for future execution are elevated. The key consideration is whether the combination of premium brands, efficiency efforts and funding profile continues to support the current valuation.
Saputo’s profit rebound, dividend and buyback create a story that feels incomplete. See how the full analysis report for Saputo reframes that optimism when valuation expectations and execution risk are factored in.
The three packaged food and beverage stocks in this article are only a starting point and the full Consumer Staples - Packaged Food & Beverage Stocks screener surfaced 24 more companies with equally compelling narratives that could sit on your watchlist. Use Simply Wall St to identify and analyze the specific catalysts and governance or brand driven narratives that matter to you so you can focus on the highest conviction ideas in this space.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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