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Smithfield FoodsSFD -1.26%30 Degree of Operating Leverage is 3.25 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus rates SFD with a GF Score™ of 30/100. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,928 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, Smithfield Foods ranks worse than 68.15% on this metric.
Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue.
Smithfield Foods's Degree of Operating Leverage for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 was 3.25. The higher Degree of Operating Leverage, the higher operating risk the company will take.
The industry rank for Smithfield Foods's Degree of Operating Leverage or its related term are showing as below:
SFD's Degree of Operating Leverage is ranked worse than 68.15% of 1928
companies
in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry
Industry Median: 0.995
vs SFD: 3.25
Smithfield Foods (NAS:SFD) Degree of Operating Leverage Explanation
Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) is a leverage ratio that measures the sensitivity of a company’s operting income, also referred to as Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT), to fluctuations in its Revenue. DOL is a method used to quantify a company’s operating risk. This risk is related to the company's structure of variable costs and fixed costs. Since the fixed costs do not allow the company to adjust the operating costs, the operating risk rises with a higher fixed-to-variable costs proportion.
A high Degree of Operating Leverage indicates that the company’s fixed costs exceed its variable costs. By increasing the sales, the company can earn more profits. In addition, the company must be able to maintain relatively high sales to cover all fixed costs.
Be Aware
The use of operating leverage varies across different industries and business sectors, and the application of Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) should be adjusted accordingly.
Smithfield Foods Degree of Operating Leverage Related Terms
Smithfield Foods Degree of Operating Leverage Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Smithfield Foods's Degree of Operating Leverage can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Smithfield Foods Degree of Operating Leverage Chart
SFD vs CAG, LW, PPC: Degree of Operating Leverage Comparison
For the Packaged Foods subindustry, Smithfield Foods's Degree of Operating Leverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Degree of Operating Leverage data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Smithfield Foods Degree of Operating Leverage vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Smithfield Foods's Degree of Operating Leverage distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Smithfield Foods's Degree of Operating Leverage falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
** TTM data of EBIT and Revenue was used to calculate Degree of Operating Leverage.
*** Please be aware that the Degree of Operating Leverage calculations are based on company-level data using the primary share class. The calculated data provided is for demonstration purposes and may slightly differ from the results displayed in the title due to potential variations caused by currency exchange rate differences throughout the year.
What does a Degree of Operating Leverage of 3.25 mean?
Smithfield Foods (SFD) has a Degree of Operating Leverage of 3.25 as of Jun. 2026. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Smithfield Foods and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Smithfield Foods ranks #1314 out of 1928 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, placing it in the top 68.2%.
Is Smithfield Foods' Degree of Operating Leverage too high?
Smithfield Foods' current Degree of Operating Leverage is 3.25. The Consumer Packaged Goods industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 1.00. Smithfield Foods' value of 3.25 is 226.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Smithfield Foods ranks #1314 out of 1928 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Smithfield Foods has a GF Score™ of 30/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Smithfield Foods' Degree of Operating Leverage compare to CAG and LW?
According to the Consumer Packaged Goods industry distribution chart, Smithfield Foods ranks #1314 out of 1928 companies for Degree of Operating Leverage. This places Smithfield Foods in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 1.00. Smithfield Foods' value of 3.25 is 226.6% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Degree of Operating Leverage for a Consumer Packaged Goods company?
The median Degree of Operating Leverage among Consumer Packaged Goods companies is 1.00, based on 1,928 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Degree of Operating Leverage significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Degree of Operating Leverage should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Smithfield Foods's current Degree of Operating Leverage of 3.25 is 226.6% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Degree of Operating Leverage mean?
A high Degree of Operating Leverage can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Smithfield Foods and its competitors. For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the median Degree of Operating Leverage is 1.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Smithfield Foods's current Degree of Operating Leverage is 3.25. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Smithfield Foods stock overvalued right now?
Smithfield Foods (SFD) has a current Degree of Operating Leverage of 3.25. The current Degree of Operating Leverage is 3.25 and 226.6% above the Consumer Packaged Goods industry median of 1.00. Smithfield Foods' overall GF Score™ is 30/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Degree of Operating Leverage calculated?
Degree of Operating Leverage is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Smithfield Foods (SFD), the current Degree of Operating Leverage is 3.25 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Smithfield Foods Inc is a hog producer and pork processor based in the United States of America. The company conducts its operations through three reportable segments: Packaged Meats, Fresh Pork, and Hog Production. The company generates the maximum of its revenue from the Packaged Meats segment. The Packaged Meats segment consists of the company's U.S. operations that process fresh meat into a wide variety of packaged meats products, including bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli and lunch meats, dry sausage products (such as pepperoni and genoa), ham products, ready-to-eat products and prepared foods (such as pre-cooked entrees, bacon and sausage).
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