Stock Market Update: S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Futures Surge After Fed Rate Cut—Attention on Broadcom, Cracker Barrel, and FedEx
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Sep 18 2025
0mins
Should l Buy GIS?
Source: Benzinga
Market Overview: U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday following a mixed performance on Wednesday, with major indices showing gains. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points, indicating potential further easing due to a cooling labor market and employment risks.
Sector Performance: Most sectors in the S&P 500 closed positively, particularly consumer staples, financials, and materials, while information technology and industrials lagged. Individual stocks like General Mills exceeded expectations, while Manchester United's shares fell after mixed results.
Economic Indicators: U.S. housing starts dropped 8.5% in August, missing estimates, and building permits also declined. Analysts suggest that the S&P 500 could see substantial growth in the second year of the Fed's rate-cutting cycle, provided the economy avoids recession.
Future Projections: The Federal Reserve's projections indicate a shallow path for interest rate cuts through 2026, with uncertainty surrounding economic conditions. Analysts warn of potential risks, including high government deficits and geopolitical instability, which could impact market performance.
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Analyst Views on GIS
Wall Street analysts forecast GIS stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
9 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 34.470
Low
47.00
Averages
52.38
High
63.00
Current: 34.470
Low
47.00
Averages
52.38
High
63.00
About GIS
General Mills, Inc. is a global manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods. Its segments include North America Retail; International; North America Pet, and North America Foodservice. The North America Retail segment reflects business with a variety of grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, drug, dollar and discount chains, convenience stores, and e-commerce grocery providers. The International segment consists of retail and foodservice businesses outside the United States and Canada. Its product categories include super-premium ice cream and frozen desserts, meal kits, salty snacks, snack bars, and others. The North America Pet segment includes pet food products sold in the United States and Canada in national pet superstore chains, e-commerce retailers, grocery stores, regional pet store chains, mass merchandisers, and others. The North America Foodservice segment consists of foodservice businesses in the United States and Canada.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Rising Demand for Pulses: USDA data shows a 55% increase in yellow pea acreage over the past 15 years, reflecting growing consumer demand for high-protein foods and prompting farmers to adjust their planting strategies accordingly.
- Agricultural Investment Trends: Major agricultural companies like Archer-Daniels-Midland and Cargill have invested in pulses since 2020, indicating a surge in demand for pea protein and driving the development of related supply chains.
- Nutritionists' Warnings: Despite the ongoing protein craze, nutritionists point out that the average American's protein intake exceeds recommended levels, emphasizing that exaggerated marketing may mislead consumers about the essence of healthy eating.
See More
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- Market Surge: The Chinese pet food market has seen annual sales grow sixfold from 2014 to 2024, exceeding $24 billion, highlighting the sector as a bright spot in consumer spending amidst economic slowdowns, with more consumers opting for local brands.
- Rise of Local Brands: As consumer focus on pets intensifies, domestic firms like Kweichow Moutai and Wens Foodstuff are entering the pet food market, driving diversification and reflecting a willingness to spend more on pet food even as spending tightens in other areas.
- Production and Safety Regulation: In 2025, China produced 1.9 million metric tons of pet food, a 17.9% increase, but the lack of national standards raises safety concerns, as the industry is regulated under livestock feed guidelines that do not align with pet health needs.
- International Brand Challenges: Despite the rapid rise of local brands, Mars' Royal Canin remains the top-selling pet food brand in China, expanding its market share through effective localization strategies, demonstrating the adaptability and competitiveness of international brands in response to market changes.
See More
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- Marketing Collaboration: Partnering with actor Randy Havens, Old El Paso utilizes short educational social media videos to raise brand awareness and engage younger consumers, which is expected to strengthen brand loyalty.
- Limited-Time Offers: Promotions through platforms like Ibotta and Fetch incentivize consumers to purchase Old El Paso products, likely boosting sales and increasing market share during the promotional period.
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- Sustainable Agriculture Progress: General Mills is advancing regenerative agriculture on over 800,000 acres, nearing its 2030 commitment, which enhances its leadership in sustainability and attracts environmentally conscious consumers.
- Food Safety Commitment: The company plans to remove certified colors from U.S. cereals and K-12 school foods by summer 2026, achieving the K-12 goal ahead of schedule, thereby enhancing product safety and consumer trust.
- Community Contributions: General Mills contributed over $83 million in food and charitable donations globally, enabling more than 7.9 billion meals, which strengthens its image in social responsibility and fosters good community relations.
- Employee Satisfaction Improvement: With 86% of employees rating General Mills as a great place to work and 82% feeling a strong sense of belonging, this not only boosts employee morale but also creates higher productivity and innovation for the company.
See More
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- Rating Maintained: The firm continues to assign an Overweight rating to Gilead, indicating analysts' recognition of its long-term growth potential, which may attract more institutional investors to the stock.
- Model Adjustments: Morgan Stanley adjusted its models across its biopharma coverage to reflect IQVIA trends and intra-quarter updates, demonstrating keen insights into industry dynamics that will aid in more accurately forecasting the company's performance.
- Market Reaction Anticipation: With the first-quarter earnings report approaching, the heightened market focus on Gilead, combined with the analysts' positive rating and price target increase, is likely to stimulate stock price appreciation ahead of the earnings release, enhancing market confidence in its future performance.
See More
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- Dividend Durability: Despite short-term earnings pressure, General Mills (GIS) maintains a 127-year uninterrupted dividend payment history, currently yielding 6.7%, making it highly attractive for long-term income investors within the S&P 500.
- Brand Resilience: Hormel Foods (HRL) has raised its dividend for 59 consecutive years, and despite a 50% drop in share price since April 2022, its brands like Spam and Skippy remain market leaders, showcasing strong brand resilience and adaptability.
- Market Potential: Kenvue (KVUE), spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023, has seen its stock price drop about 30%, yet its product portfolio including Tylenol and Listerine shows a 3.2% revenue growth quarter-over-quarter, indicating defensibility and growth potential in consumer health.
- E-commerce Penetration: Church & Dwight (CHD) has achieved a 23% e-commerce channel share in global sales, with brands like Arm & Hammer contributing 70% of revenue, and is guiding for 3% to 4% organic sales growth in 2026, highlighting strong market prospects and investment value.
See More
