We recently published a list of the 10 Best Food Stocks To Buy Under $20. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) stands against other best food stocks to buy under $20.

Overview of the Global Food Industry

The food industry plays a significant role in regulating the global economy, affecting agriculture and retail. Food demand is growing with an increase in the world’s population, resulting in changes in consumption patterns. According to The Business Research Company, the global food and beverages market was valued at $6.57 trillion in 2023. It is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9% between 2024 and 2028, reaching $8.81 trillion by ​the end of the forecast period. In 2023, Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the food and beverages market.

Technological advancements are causing significant changes in how companies in food production operate. Innovations such as robotics and AI are streamlining supply chains and improving efficiency. Recent consumer spending trends also highlight a shift towards healthier and functional foods that support overall well-being. For instance, many consumers are now looking for products that satisfy hunger and promote health benefits at the same time, such as weight management and heart health.

READ ALSO: 12 Best Hotel Stocks To Buy According to Analysts and 12 Cheap Retail Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds

Are Food Prices Expected to Cool Down?

Inflation has simmered down over the past two years, according to CNBC. Although October and November saw a slight stall, prices for items such as cars, energy, and gasoline have all cooled down. However, food prices have continued to outpace inflation, rising by 28% since 2019. According to a 2024 survey by RR Donnelley, grocery price increases have left more than 85% of consumers frustrated and disturbed. More than a third of consumers reported shifting to buying fewer items to save money. Experts believe that trends surrounding higher food prices are likely to persist.  CNBC reported that Claudia Sahm, a chief economist at New Century Advisors, was of the view that food prices tend to stay up once they rise. She said:

“The inflation may come back down, so you don’t see the big price increases. But outside of widespread depression, we don’t tend to see prices falling across the board.”

While policy interventions can affect food prices, experts are skeptical of the odds of that happening. CNBC reported that Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, was of the opinion that government policymakers can do nothing about the situation. He said this was not unique to the United States, as the problem has been experienced worldwide. At present, there isn’t much to do except wait and see how things work out in the future.

Another factor behind the looming uncertainty about the future of food prices is the current political climate and its unpredictability. However, tariffs are expected to considerably increase the prices of things, especially food. CNBC reported that Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at Groundwork Collaborative, said the following when talking about the scenario:

“Same thing with mass deportations. We have workers in this country who really prop up our food system, and when you start to really harm that workforce and send them away, that harms our entire economy.”

Our Methodology

We sifted through stock screeners, online rankings, and ETFs to compile a list of 20 food stocks with a share price under $20. We then selected the top 10 most popular stocks among elite hedge funds as of Q3 2024. We sourced the hedge fund sentiment data from Insider Monkey’s database. The list is sorted in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment. Please note that the share price data is as of February 14, 2025.

Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO)

Stock Price: $18.79

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25

Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) produces and markets packaged bakery foods in the US, such as buns, breads, bagels, tortillas, English muffins, and snack items. It has an elaborate brand portfolio, including Wonder, Tastykake, Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread (DKB), and more. Its customers range from food wholesalers and restaurants to mass merchandisers, retailers, dollar stores, institutions, supermarkets, and vending companies.

The company grew its net income by 20.9% in fiscal Q4 2024 to $43.1 million, representing 3.9% of sales, a 70-basis point increase. This growth was attributed to higher operating income resulting from the optimization of its non-retail business, moderating ingredient costs, decrease in impairment of assets, and cost-saving initiatives taken by the company. Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) also grew its adjusted net income by 8.7% to $46.4 million. In addition, its adjusted EBITDA rose 6.3% to $102.4 million, representing 9.2% of net sales, a 70-basis point increase.

The company’s strong execution of its portfolio strategy, investments in innovation, and solid in-store operations allowed it to improve its market standing and promote growth. Management expects continued strong execution in fiscal 2025, with first-half results anticipated to benefit from the carryover of new business wins, savings and pricing initiatives, and moderating commodity costs. For the 53-week fiscal year 2025, Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) expects net sales of approximately $5.403 billion to $5.487 billion, representing 5.9% to 7.5% growth compared to the prior year.

Overall, FLO ranks third on our list of best food stocks to buy under $20. While we acknowledge the potential of FLO, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than FLO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.