LIVE
GIS
General Mills, Inc. · Consumer Staples / Packaged Food
$33.42
-1.04% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
K
Kellanova · Consumer Staples / Packaged Food
$83.44
+0.14% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
GIS
3
K
2
Comparison scoreboard
GIS LEADS 3/5AI Score
GIS 26.3
K ✓38.3
1Y Return
GIS -37.04%
K ✓+4.19%
Fwd P/E
GIS ✓10.98
K 21.97
Target Up.
GIS ✓+7.22%
K -0.03%
Op. Margin
GIS ✓19.19%
K 15.03%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
GIS vs K Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
GIS and K (Kellanova) are packaged food peers with significant cereal heritage, both diversifying into faster-growing snack and adjacent food categories. General Mills has Blue Buffalo pet food as a key growth pillar; Kellanova has Pringles, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts as snack growth drivers. Kellanova is subject to the pending Mars acquisition ($83.50/share) announced August 2024, making it primarily a merger arbitrage situation rather than a fundamental long-term investment. General Mills remains an independent public company.
GIS vs K — General Mills (the diversified packaged food company with Cheerios, Pillsbury, Nature Valley, and Blue Buffalo premium pet food as the key growth investment thesis) versus Kellanova (the snack-focused company spun from Kellogg's with Pringles, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts, subject to Mars's pending $83.50/share acquisition announced August 2024).
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
GIS holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. K has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+4.19% vs -37.04%), though GIS trades at the lower forward P/E (10.98x vs 21.97x). GIS leads on both revenue growth (2.20%) and operating margin (19.19%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for GIS (+7.22%) than for K (-0.03%).
Normalized 1Y performance
GIS
K
Recent returns
GIS
K
Analyst price targets & sentiment
GIS
Price target range
analyst mean$37.00
current price$33.42
+7.2% upside to analyst mean
K
Price target range
analyst mean$83.42
current price$83.44
-0.0% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
GIS may suit investors who:
- →see Blue Buffalo premium pet food as a secular growth category — pet owners trading up to premium nutrition provides a growth vector in a defensive consumer staples package
- →value General Mills' cereal brand heritage (Cheerios, Lucky Charms) with heart health positioning as durable despite broader cereal category headwinds from younger consumer breakfast alternatives
- →want a dividend-paying consumer staples company with 4-5% yield from stable food brands that maintains reliable income through economic cycles
- →are comfortable with cereal category secular headwinds, Blue Buffalo pet food competition from Purina/Hill's, and pricing/volume tradeoffs from the 2021-2023 price increase cycle
K may suit investors who:
- →are focused on merger arbitrage — the Mars acquisition at $83.50/share represents the near-term investment thesis with primary risk being regulatory delay or deal failure
- →value Kellanova's snack brand portfolio (Pringles, Cheez-It) as representing faster growth than traditional cereal assets if the Mars deal doesn't close
- →see international cereal emerging market presence as providing growth beyond mature North American markets where Kellanova maintains distribution strength
- →are comfortable with pending acquisition overhang, MorningStar Farms plant-based category challenges, and regulatory uncertainty across multiple jurisdictions for the Mars deal
Performance & AI score
| Metric | GIS | K |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 26.3 | 38.3 |
| AI rank | #2627 | #1298 |
| Latest close | $33.42 | $83.44 |
| 1M return | -1.04% | +0.14% |
| 6M return | -31.25% | +2.24% |
| 1Y return | -37.04% | +4.19% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | GIS | K |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $6.31K (-36.9%) started 2025-06-18 | $10.48K (+4.8%) started 2024-12-12 |
| 5Y ago | $7.29K (-27.1%) started 2021-06-21 | $19.56K (+95.6%) started 2020-12-14 |
| 10Y ago | $9.99K (-0.1%) started 2016-06-20 | $24.65K (+146.5%) started 2015-12-14 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | GIS | K |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $18.42B | $29.03B |
| Trailing P/E | 8.44 | 22.80 |
| Forward P/E | 10.98 | 21.97 |
| Price/Sales | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenue | 1.15 | 2.77 |
| Analyst target | $37.00 | $83.42 |
| Target upside | +7.22% | -0.03% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | GIS | K |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 2.20% | 0.80% |
| Earnings growth | -14.50% | -16.20% |
| EPS growth | -14.50% | -16.20% |
| FCF margin | +12.32% | +3.98% |
| Operating margin | 19.19% | 15.03% |
| Profit margin | 12.05% | 10.08% |
| ROIC proxy | 23.59% | 32.11% |
| Return on equity | 23.59% | 32.11% |
| Dividend yield | 7.07% | 2.78% |
| Beta | -0.04 | 0.25 |
| Debt/equity | 217.63 | 145.10 |
| Current ratio | 0.56 | 0.68 |
| Quick ratio | 0.30 | 0.38 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
GIS max drawdown40.24%
K max drawdown7.14%
GIS max wkly drop11.09%
K max wkly drop3.27%
5Y risk snapshot
GIS max drawdown61.80%
K max drawdown30.15%
GIS max wkly drop11.09%
K max wkly drop9.75%
10Y risk snapshot
GIS max drawdown61.80%
K max drawdown34.69%
GIS max wkly drop19.17%
K max wkly drop18.71%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | GIS | K |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -36.90% | +4.10% |
| CAGR | -36.94% | +4.11% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -2.00 | -0.02 | |
| Max drawdown | 40.24% | 7.14% | |
| Max daily drop | 6.99% | 1.70% | |
| Max wkly drop | 11.09% | 3.27% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -36.63% | +66.64% |
| CAGR | -8.73% | +10.77% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.54 | 0.39 | |
| Max drawdown | 61.80% | 30.15% | |
| Max daily drop | 7.32% | 8.32% | |
| Max wkly drop | 11.09% | 9.75% | |
| 10Y | Growth | -30.69% | +71.04% |
| CAGR | -3.60% | +5.52% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.26 | 0.15 | |
| Max drawdown | 61.80% | 34.69% | |
| Max daily drop | 11.41% | 10.92% | |
| Max wkly drop | 19.17% | 18.71% |
Business comparison
| Category | GIS | K |
|---|---|---|
| Company | General Mills, Inc. | Kellanova |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive | Consumer Defensive |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | General Mills is a diversified packaged food company with brands across cereal (Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Wheaties), yogurt (Yoplait), snacks (Nature Valley, Annie's, Lärabar), baking (Betty Crocker, Pillsbury), dough (refrigerated dough), and pet food (Blue Buffalo). General Mills acquired Blue Buffalo in 2018 for $8B — expanding into the premium pet food market, which has grown significantly as pet ownership and pet food premiumization has accelerated. General Mills sells globally with particular strength in cereal, snacks, and natural/organic categories. | Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company, renamed after spinning off its North American cereal brands as WK Kellogg Co. in 2023) focuses on snacks, international cereal, and frozen breakfast foods. Kellanova's key brands include Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, RXBAR, Eggo, MorningStar Farms, and international cereal. Mars, Incorporated agreed to acquire Kellanova in August 2024 for approximately $35.9B — a pending acquisition that would make it one of the largest food deals in history. Kellanova's snack brands provide growth vs traditional cereal maturity. |
| Investor focus | Investors focus on General Mills' organic net sales growth, Blue Buffalo pet food performance, cereal category trends (is ready-to-eat cereal growing?), and margin recovery from ingredient cost inflation. | With Mars's acquisition announced in August 2024, Kellanova's stock has been trading close to the acquisition price ($83.50 per share) — investment interest is primarily in merger arbitrage spread vs whether the deal closes at full price. |
GIS strengths
- →Blue Buffalo pet food growth: the $8B Blue Buffalo acquisition positioned General Mills in premium pet food — a secular growth category as pet owners spend more on premium nutrition for pets
- →Cereal brand heritage with Cheerios: Cheerios is one of America's most trusted breakfast brands — heart health credentials and loyalty across demographics provide durable market position
- →Snacks diversification: Nature Valley, Annie's, and Lärabar provide exposure to the high-growth natural/organic snack category beyond traditional cereal
K strengths
- →Pringles and Cheez-It snack brand dominance: Pringles is a global snack brand sold in 180+ countries; Cheez-It is the #1 cheese cracker in the US — both provide durable snack category leadership
- →International diversification from cereal: Kellanova's international cereal operations in emerging markets (Africa, Asia, Latin America) provide growth exposure that mature North American cereal markets don't
- →Mars acquisition premium: Mars's $83.50/share offer represents a 44% premium — Kellanova shareholders received significant value recognition from the Mars strategic combination announcement
Risks to watch — GIS
- →Cereal category declining in some demographics: ready-to-eat cereal faces long-term headwinds as younger consumers eat less cereal — competition from yogurt, eggs, and on-the-go breakfast alternatives
- →Blue Buffalo integration and pet food competition: Purina (Nestlé), Hill's (Colgate), and Royal Canin compete aggressively in premium pet food — Blue Buffalo must maintain brand premiums vs well-resourced competitors
- →Volume pressure from pricing: General Mills raised prices significantly in 2021-2023 — consumer pushback and private label competition at lower price points has created volume pressure in some categories
Risks to watch — K
- →Mars acquisition pending close: the Mars-Kellanova deal announced August 2024 is pending regulatory approval — antitrust review in multiple jurisdictions could delay or complicate the transaction
- →MorningStar Farms plant-based category challenges: MorningStar Farms (plant-based burgers, chicken) has faced volume declines as the broader plant-based category has disappointed vs the initial COVID-era hype
- →Post-separation focus and integration: Kellanova's separation from WK Kellogg Co. (North American cereal) in 2023 created strategic focus but also transition complexity and stranded cost management challenges
Frequently asked questions
Free public comparison
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.
Related comparisons
More comparisons
Browse all 1,000 comparisons →