Oscar Mayer Stock: Can You Buy Shares?

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Last Updated on 10/22/2021 by GS Staff

Oscar Mayer Stock: Is it Publicly Traded?

You cannot solely purchase Oscar Mayer stock since it is a subsidiary of Kraft Heinz. You can, however, purchase shares of Kraft Heinz. Its stock trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol KHC. Shares can be purchased through most online brokers.

When Did Kraft Acquire Oscar Mayer?

Oscar Mayer was founded in 1883 when its first shop was opened by Gottfried and Oscar F. Mayer in Chicago. The business remained independently operated and family-held for nearly 100 years.

Oscar Mayer made a huge decision in the 1980s to sell itself. General Foods acquired Oscar Mayer in 1981 for approximately $465 million in cash. In 1985, Philip Morris acquired General Foods and subsequentially the Oscar Mayer brand. Phillip Morris then acquired Kraft in 1989 for $13.1 billion and merged it internally with General Foods. Kraft was eventually spun off from Altria Group (the parent of Philip Morris). Oscar Mayer stayed with Kraft at the time of the spin-off.

In summary, Kraft ended up with Oscar Mayer through a series of transactions and not from a traditional acquisition.

Will Oscar Mayer Ever Be Public?

We have no indication that Oscar Mayer will ever be public on its own. It has been a subsidiary of Kraft for over 30 years so you should expect it to remain a part of its parent company for the foreseeable future.

Public Oscar Mayer Competitors

Here are a few competitors you can consider for investment purposes:

Nathan’s Famous (NASDAQ: NATH) is known for its tasty hot dogs found in grocery stores and at its restaurants. Its restaurants are franchised and company-owned in approximately 20 states.

Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) is another option as an alternative. Tyson is the parent company behind major meat food brands such as Ball Park, Wright Brand, Hillshire Farms, and Jimmy Dean.

Hormel Foods ( NYSE: HRL) is another company worth a look at if you want exposure to the food processing business, particularly meats. The company has many popular meat-related brands under its wing including Applegate Columbus Craft Meats, Dinty Moore, and Jennie-O. Some of its non-meat brands include Skippy, Wholly Guacamole, and Justin’s, among others.

Conagra (NYSE: CAG) is similar to Kraft Heinz in that it is an enormous packaged goods company. Some of the company’s popular brands include Slim Jim, Hunt’s Ketchup, Birds Eye, Chef Boyardee, Hungry-Man, and Hebrew National.

Final Thoughts

In addition to Oscar Mayer, Kraft Heinz owns several noteworthy subsidiaries that pull in billions in revenue. Some of these popular brands include Kraft, Heinz, Philadelphia, Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, Velveeta, and Jell-O. In other words, do not invest in Kraft Heinz simply because you enjoy Oscar Mayer products. Complete your due diligence on the entire company and/or seek professional financial advice before investing.

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