Smithfield FoodsSTU:4IT -0.93%30 Operating Margin % is 8.71% as of Mar. 2026, which is 58% above its 10-year median of 5.51. GuruFocus rates STU:4IT with a GF Score™ of 30/100. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,951 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, Smithfield Foods ranks better than 66.22% on this metric.
The historical rank and industry rank for Smithfield Foods's Operating Margin % or its related term are showing as below:
STU:4IT'
s Operating Margin % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -0.38 Med: 5.51 Max: 8.43
Current: 8.43
STU:4IT's Operating Margin % is ranked better than 66.22% of 1951
companies
in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry
Industry Median: 5.26
vs STU:4IT: 8.43
Smithfield Foods's 5-Year Average Operating Margin % Growth Rate was 0.00% per year.
Just like Gross Margin %, it is important to see a company maintains its operating margin over time. Among the same industry, a company with higher operating margin is more efficient in its operation. It is also more stable during industry slowdown or recessions. Peter Lynch prefers those with higher margins than those with lower margins.
Be Aware
Operating Margin % can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).
If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin % may decline. Often the Operating Margin % declines well before the company's Revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.
For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokias Operating Margin % had already been in decline since 2002, although its Earnings per Share (Diluted) were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin % would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).
Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.
Smithfield Foods Operating Margin % Related Terms
Smithfield Foods Operating Margin % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Smithfield Foods's Operating Margin % 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.
STU:4IT vs DAR, SJM, MKC: Operating Margin % Comparison
For the Packaged Foods subindustry, Smithfield Foods's Operating Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Operating Margin % 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 Operating Margin % vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Smithfield Foods's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Smithfield Foods's Operating Margin % falls into.
Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.
Smithfield Foods's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
* 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 (STU:4IT) has a Operating Margin % of 8.71% as of Mar. 2026. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Smithfield Foods and its competitors. This is 58% above median its historical median of 5.51. According to the industry distribution chart, Smithfield Foods ranks #659 out of 1951 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, placing it in the top 33.8%.
Is Smithfield Foods' Operating Margin % too high?
Smithfield Foods' current Operating Margin % of 8.71% is 58% above median its 10-year median of 5.51. The Consumer Packaged Goods industry median Operating Margin % is 5.26. Smithfield Foods' value of 8.71% is 65.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Smithfield Foods ranks #659 out of 1951 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, which is above 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' Operating Margin % compare to DAR and SJM?
According to the Consumer Packaged Goods industry distribution chart, Smithfield Foods ranks #659 out of 1951 companies for Operating Margin %. This puts Smithfield Foods in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 5.26. Smithfield Foods' value of 8.71% is 65.6% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 5.51 vs. the industry median of 5.26, Smithfield Foods has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Operating Margin % for a Consumer Packaged Goods company?
The median Operating Margin % among Consumer Packaged Goods companies is 5.26, based on 1,951 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Operating Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Operating Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Smithfield Foods's current Operating Margin % of 8.71% is 65.6% 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 Operating Margin % mean?
A high Operating Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Smithfield Foods and its competitors. For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the median Operating Margin % is 5.26 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Smithfield Foods's current Operating Margin % is 8.71%, which is 58% above median its own 10-year median of 5.51. 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 (STU:4IT) has a current Operating Margin % of 8.71%. The current Operating Margin % is 8.71%, which is 58% above median its 10-year median of 5.51 and 65.6% above the Consumer Packaged Goods industry median of 5.26. 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 Operating Margin % calculated?
Operating Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Smithfield Foods (STU:4IT), the current Operating Margin % is 8.71% as of Mar. 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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