General Mills (GIS): analysis in plain words
Is General Mills cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
General Mills (GIS) is listed on the NYSE and we classify it in consumer staples. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against General Mills according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
General Mills (GIS) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $35.85 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | N/A | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | -2.8% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | -4.9% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.9x | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 7.16% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $19.2 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The General Mills figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any GIS figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How General Mills makes money
General Mills makes packaged foods under brands such as Cheerios, Nature Valley, Pillsbury, Old El Paso and Häagen-Dazs. Its segments are North America Retail, the largest, North America Pet, home to Blue Buffalo pet food, North America Foodservice, which sells to restaurants and schools, and International.
Over the last 12 months, General Mills brought in revenue of $18.3 billion. For every 100 it sells, General Mills keeps 33.7 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 15.2 after all operating costs (operating margin). With 30,000 full-time employees, that is about $610,000 of revenue per employee.
General Mills against its sector
To know whether a General Mills figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares General Mills with the median of the 17 consumer staples companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | General Mills | consumer staples median |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | -2.8% | +3.6% (19) |
| Net margin | -4.9% | 12.8% (19) |
| Dividend yield | 7.16% | 3.19% (19) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.9x | 1.7x (19) |
In short, against the typical consumer staples company, General Mills grows more slowly, earns a thinner margin and pays a higher dividend yield. By size, General Mills ranks number 13 of 13 consumer staples companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for General Mills
These are the strengths in the General Mills figures as of November 4, 2026:
- For income seekers, General Mills pays a dividend yielding 7.16% at today's price, using 59% of its profit to fund it.
- General Mills generates real cash: $1.3 billion of free cash flow over 12 months, 6.8% of its stock market value.
The main risk for General Mills
General Mills is losing money: its net margin over the last 12 months is -4.9%, so it spends more than it brings in. Until it turns a profit it relies on its cash or on raising money.
On top of that: debt is heavy: General Mills carries net debt equal to 3.9x its annual EBITDA. With high interest rates or a weak year, interest payments eat into what it can invest or pay out.
And, like the rest of consumer staples, General Mills is exposed to customers switching to cheaper store brands and rising prices for the raw materials it buys.
Frequently asked questions about General Mills
Is it a good time to buy General Mills stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell General Mills, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, General Mills stock trades at $35.85, 28% below its 52-week high ($49.59) and 15% above its low ($31.18). With General Mills, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does General Mills pay a dividend?
Yes. As of November 4, 2026, General Mills pays $2.44 per share a year, which at today's price is a yield of 7.16%. It uses 59% of its profit to pay it, which leaves room to keep paying it if profit dips. The consumer staples median on Fintols is 3.19%.
Is General Mills stock expensive?
General Mills has no meaningful P/E as of November 4, 2026 because its last 12 months of earnings are negative or close to zero, so that yardstick cannot tell you whether it is expensive. Including its debt, General Mills is valued at 9.2x its EBITDA (EV/EBITDA). A high P/E alone does not make General Mills expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are General Mills's competitors?
On Fintols we compare General Mills with Kraft Heinz, Monster Beverage and Kimberly-Clark, which are also in consumer staples. As of November 4, 2026, Kraft Heinz is worth $30.2 billion; Monster Beverage is worth $95.5 billion and trades on a P/E of 45.1; Kimberly-Clark is worth $66.8 billion and trades on a P/E of 21.5. Each has a side-by-side comparison with General Mills below.
General Mills competitors
- Kraft Heinz (KHC) analysis · General Mills vs Kraft Heinz comparison
- Monster Beverage (MNST) analysis · General Mills vs Monster Beverage comparison
- Kimberly-Clark (KMB) analysis · General Mills vs Kimberly-Clark comparison
To understand General Mills better
- Dividend Growth Investing: FCF Payout Ratio and Compounding
- How to Read a Balance Sheet: A Beginner's Guide
More companies like General Mills: consumer staples stocks and S&P 500 companies. Open the full GIS analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about General Mills, not investment advice.