Dirt Cheap Stocks to Buy With $1,000 Right Now

By Reuben Gregg Brewer – Mar 24, 2026 at 1:15AM ESTKey PointsHormel is a Dividend King food maker with a protein focus.General Mills is a packaged food giant that can adapt to changing consumer preferences. Consumers are tightening their budgets and, at the same time, GLP-1 drugs are changing the way people eat. That has investors worried about food makers like Hormel Foods (HRL +1.26%) and General Mills (GIS +0.82%). The stocks have historically high yields of 5.2% and 6.5%, respectively. If you are looking for dirt cheap dividend stocks, you'll want to get to know these consumer staples companies today. Hormel and General Mills are reliable dividend payers Hormel is a Dividend King, with six decades worth of annual dividend increased under its belt. General Mills has paid a dividend for 127 years and counting. The dividend has trended generally higher for decades. These are not upstarts; they are seasoned food companies that are going through a difficult period. And they have both proven they can survive hard times while continuing to reward dividend investors well. Image source: Getty Images. The key is that both Hormel and General Mills make necessity items. You aren't going to stop eating because there is a recession or a bear market. And they both have long and successful histories of updating their brand portfolios to keep pace with changing consumer preferences. Hormel's protein focus is particularly on point today, as GLP-1 drug use is spreading. Increasing protein intake is important to stave off muscle loss. However, if history is any guide, they will both figure out how to deal with the current headwinds, using tools such as innovation, acquisitions, and cost-cutting, among others. General Mills has notably been leaning into growing trends like pet food and moving away from food brands that have seen stagnant growth, such as Hamburger Helper, which was recently sold. ExpandNYSE: HRLHormel FoodsToday's Change(1.26%) $0.28Current Price$22.42Key Data PointsMarket Cap$12BDay's Range$22.10 - $22.5052wk Range$21.03 - $32.07Volume4.2MAvg Vol4.6MGross Margin15.33%Dividend Yield5.19% The value opportunity is huge As already highlighted, both Hormel and General Mills have historically high dividend yields, which suggests the stocks are cheap. Although earnings are under pressure, making price-to-earnings ratios less useful, both companies have price-to-sales and price-to-book ratios that are well below their five-year averages. That helps confirm the value opportunity available for investors today. ExpandNYSE: GISGeneral MillsToday's Change(0.82%) $0.30Current Price$37.31Key Data PointsMarket Cap$20BDay's Range$36.77 - $37.6452wk Range$36.76 - $62.61Volume293KAvg Vol8.6MGross Margin33.05%Dividend Yield6.50% With each company actively working to turn its business around, buying today will get you in before those upturns arrive. A $1,000 investment will buy around 26 shares of General Mills or 45 shares of Hormel. And you'll lock in lofty yields from companies that have proven they know how to survive and reward income investors for sticking around through both the good and bad times.Read NextFeb 22, 2026 •By Daniel Foelber2 Value Stocks With Dividend Yields Over 5% to Buy Near 52-Week LowsDec 31, 2025 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerMy 3 Favorite Stocks to Buy Right NowDec 18, 2025 •By Thomas NielIf You Own GIS Stock, You May Want to Sell and Buy This InsteadDec 13, 2025 •By Todd Shriber1 Magnificent S&P 500 Dividend Stock Down 27% to Buy and Hold ForeverSep 23, 2025 •By James BrumleyHave $1,000? 3 Absurdly Cheap Stocks Long-Term Investors Should Buy Right NowSep 9, 2025 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerCould Buying High-Yield General Mills Today Set You Up for Life?About the AuthorReuben Gregg Brewer is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering energy, utilities, REITs, and consumer staples. He is the former director of research at Value Line Publishing, where he rose from mutual fund analyst to equity analyst before leading all research operations. Reuben holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Purchase, a master’s in social work from Columbia University, and an MBA from Regis University. He has been featured as a financial expert on CNBC and in the Financial Times, Barron’s, and InvestmentNews.TMFReubenGBrewerStocks MentionedGeneral MillsNYSE: GIS$37.32(+0.82%)+$0.31Hormel FoodsNYSE: HRL$22.42(+1.26%)+$0.28*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.