Premier Foods Share Price – Live Data, History and Outlook

Premier Foods plc, the owner of well-known UK brands such as Mr Kipling and Bisto, has seen its share price follow a volatile path over the past two decades. Listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker PFD, the stock has moved from a high-growth leveraged story in the mid-2000s to a more mature turnaround case in recent years. This article examines the current price, historical performance, dividend profile, analyst forecasts, and the key events that have shaped the company’s market value.

As a FTSE 250 constituent with a market capitalisation of approximately £1.77 billion, Premier Foods operates in the consumer staples sector — a category generally considered defensive. Yet the stock has experienced dramatic swings, including a peak above 1,882p in 2007 and a pandemic-era low of just over 16p in March 2020. Understanding those extremes helps frame where the share price stands today.

What is the current Premier Foods share price?

Data from Hargreaves Lansdown shows a previous close of 205.00p, with a market cap of £1.77 billion and a P/E ratio of 12.97. The dividend yield stands at approximately 1.63% based on a dividend per share of £0.028. Other sources, such as TradingEconomics, have quoted the stock in the range of 189p to 203p on recent trading days, reflecting normal intraday fluctuation.

Key insights at a glance

• Premier Foods has experienced extreme long-term volatility, with an all-time high of 1,882.55p in February 2007 and a low of 16.09p in March 2020.
• The stock is classified as a mid-cap UK consumer staples company with a market capitalisation of approximately £1.77 billion.
• Premier Foods pays a modest dividend of 2.8p per share, yielding around 1.6%, with the next payment scheduled for 25 July 2025.
• The share price has been sensitive to commodity inflation, debt levels, and consumer spending trends throughout its history.
• TradingEconomics forecasts a slight downside to approximately 183p over the next year, implying a flattening from current levels.
• The P/E ratio of around 13x suggests a market view of a reasonably established but not high-growth consumer staples business.
• After the pandemic-era low, the stock has recovered significantly but remains well below its 2007 peak.

Key facts and figures

What is the Premier Foods share price history?

Premier Foods has one of the more dramatic long-term price histories among UK mid-cap stocks. The highest end-of-day price on record is 1,882.55 GBp, reached on 15 February 2007, according to CompaniesMarketCap. That peak was followed by a prolonged de-rating as markets reassessed the company’s growth prospects, debt burden, and profit quality.

The lowest end-of-day price recorded is 16.09 GBp, hit on 19 March 2020 during the pandemic-driven market sell-off. That decline reflected both broad market stress and the company’s historical sensitivity to leverage and consumer spending weakness. In the years since, the stock has recovered into the 150p–220p range, though it remains far below its 2007 high.

What drove the long-term decline?

The post-2007 collapse was not a single event but a multi-year reassessment. Markets grew concerned about Premier Foods’ debt levels, refinancing risk, and margin pressure from commodity inflation. The company also faced changing consumer demand trends and increased competition in the branded food space. Those structural concerns weighed on the valuation for years.

The pandemic low and recovery

The March 2020 low of 16.09p represented a moment of extreme market stress. Premier Foods, like many leveraged consumer companies, was particularly exposed to the sudden halt in economic activity. However, the subsequent recovery was equally striking. By 2022 the stock had climbed back above 200p, supported by improved operational resilience and a stronger balance sheet.

What is the Premier Foods dividend?

Premier Foods is not generally considered a high-yield income stock. The company pays a modest dividend after years in which many UK turnaround and leveraged companies paid little or nothing to shareholders. According to Hargreaves Lansdown, the dividend per share stands at £0.028 (2.8p), with a yield of approximately 1.63%.

Payment schedule

The next ex-dividend date is 26 June 2025, with the payment due on 25 July 2025. Investors holding shares before the ex-dividend date will be eligible for this payout. The official dividend and shareholder information is available through Premier Foods Investor Relations.

What the dividend suggests about the company

The restrained dividend points to a company balancing several priorities: returning cash to shareholders, reinvesting in its brand portfolio, maintaining leverage discipline, and preserving operational resilience. A yield below 2% is typically below what income-focused investors target, but it does provide a baseline return in a moderate-risk consumer staples stock.

What is the Premier Foods share price forecast?

Available forecast data presents a mixed outlook. The TradingEconomics model projects Premier Foods at 187.77p by the end of the current quarter and 182.97p in one year, implying a slight flattening or modest downside from recent levels around 200p.

Valuation context

With a P/E ratio of approximately 13x and a market cap of about £1.8 billion, the market appears to view Premier Foods as a reasonably established consumer staples business with some growth potential, but not as a deep-value or high-income opportunity. The valuation reflects both the defensive nature of the brand portfolio and the lingering discount applied because of the company’s history of volatility and operating sensitivity.

How has Premier Foods share price performed over time?

The following timeline highlights key periods in Premier Foods’ share price history, based on publicly available market data.

1. 2007 – The stock reaches an all-time high of 1,882.55p on 15 February, driven by high-growth expectations and leverage.
2. 2008–2019 – A prolonged de-rating period as markets reassess debt levels, profit quality, and consumer demand trends. The share price declines significantly.
3. March 2020 – The stock hits an all-time low of 16.09p during the pandemic-driven market sell-off.
4. 2020–2022 – Post-pandemic recovery lifts the price back above 200p as trading and balance-sheet concerns ease.
5. 2023–2024 – A period of volatility linked to inflation and cost pressures, with the share price fluctuating between approximately 160p and 200p.
6. Early 2025 – A sharp drop occurs, reportedly linked to a profit warning and ongoing cost inflation concerns.
7. May 2025 – The price stabilises around 200p–210p following the release of results and a dividend announcement.

What is known and uncertain about Premier Foods share price?

Some elements of Premier Foods’ share price are well established, while others remain subject to change. The table below separates the known from the uncertain based on the available data.

What factors affect Premier Foods share price?

Premier Foods operates in the UK branded food sector, with household names such as Mr Kipling, Bisto, and Ambrosia in its portfolio. That gives the company a defensive consumer profile, but its share price remains sensitive to several macroeconomic and company-specific factors.

Commodity costs, particularly wheat and energy prices, directly impact margins. Consumer spending trends also matter: when household budgets are squeezed, shoppers may trade down to own-label products, affecting Premier Foods’ revenue. The company’s debt levels and refinancing needs have historically amplified downside during periods of market stress, as seen during the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 pandemic.

Interest rate decisions by the Bank of England can influence the stock’s valuation, as higher rates increase the cost of debt and make equity income less attractive relative to bonds. Trading updates and profit warnings from the company itself are among the most direct catalysts for share price moves.

Where can I find reliable Premier Foods share price data?

Several authoritative sources provide share price data, dividend information, and analyst coverage for Premier Foods. The list below includes the primary references used in this article.

“Share price data is sourced from the London Stock Exchange official company page.”

— London Stock Exchange (PFD) company page

“Dividend information and shareholder resources are maintained on the Premier Foods investor relations website.”

— Premier Foods Investor Relations

Other widely used platforms include This is Money for chart data, Yahoo Finance for quote and news coverage, and the LSE website for official trading data. For the full investor relations hub, the company site at premierfoods.co.uk/investors is the primary destination.

What is the outlook for Premier Foods shares?

Premier Foods is best understood as a turnaround-to-stability story rather than a rapid-growth or high-yield income stock. The market prices it somewhere between a stable branded consumer business and a stock that still carries a discount because of its history and operating sensitivity. Investors monitoring the stock will want to watch upcoming interim results, trading updates, and macroeconomic developments such as interest rate decisions and commodity price trends. For a broader perspective on UK equities, readers may also explore related analysis such as Babcock International Share Price – Analyst Targets and Outlook and ITM Power Share Price – Stock Value, Forecast and Market Data.

Frequently asked questions about Premier Foods share price