David Duprey/AP As people express distaste for food they think is overly processed, fast food chains like McDonald's (MCD) are trying to shed their reputation for serving reheated meals that are loaded with chemicals. That includes rethinking the use of artificial preservatives and other ingredients customers find objectionable. "This demand for fresh and real is on the rise," said Greg Creed, CEO of Yum Brands (YUM), which owns Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. During the presentation for analysts and investors last month, Creed said the company needs to be more transparent about ingredients and use fewer preservatives. Recasting fast-food as "fresh" and "real" will be tricky, in large part because it's so universally regarded as cheap and greasy. Another problem is that terms like "fresh," ''real" and "healthy" have nebulous meanings, making it hard for companies to pin down how to approach transformation. Would You Like Brominated Vegetable Oil With That?
Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Campbell Soup Co (CPB)
Campbell Soup Company (Campbell), incorporated on November 23, 1922, together with its subsidiaries, is a manufacturer and marketer of branded convenience food products. The Company operates in five segments: U.S. Simple Meals; Global Baking and Snacking; International Simple Meals and Beverages; U.S. Beverages; and North America Foodservice. In June 2012, the Company purchased 1300 Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden. On August 6, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of BF Bolthouse Holdco LLC (Bolthouse Farms). In September 2012, Vilmorin & Cie SA acquired the tomato and pepper breeding and sales business of the Company. In June 2013, Campbell Soup Co completed the acquisition of Plum Organics. In August 2013, Campbell Soup Company completed the acquisition of Kelsen Group A/S.
In the United States, Canada and Latin America, the Company�� products are resold to consumers in retail food chains, mass discounters, mass merchandisers, club stores, convenience stores, drug stores, dollar stores and other retail, commercial and non-commercial establishments. In Europe, the Company�� products are resold to consumers in retail food chains, mass discounters, mass merchandisers, club stores, convenience stores and other retail, commercial and non-commercial establishments. In the Asia Pacific region, the Company�� products are resold to consumers through retail food chains, convenience stores and other retail, commercial and non-commercial establishments.
U.S. Simple Meals
The U.S. Simple Meals segment aggregates the operating segments: U.S. Soup and U.S. Sauces. The U.S. Soup retail business includes the products, such as Campbell�� condensed and ready-to-serve soups, and Swanson broth and stocks. The U.S. Sauces retail business includes Pregopasta sauces, Pace Mexican sauces, Campbell�� canned gravies, pasta, and beans, and Swanson canned poultry.
Global Baking and Snacking
The Global Baking and Snacking segment include Pepperi! dge Farm cookies, crackers, bakery and frozen products in the United States retail. It also includes Arnott�� biscuits in Australia and Asia Pacific.
International Simple Meals and Beverages
The International Simple Meals and Beverages segment aggregates the simple meals and beverages operating segments outside of the United States, including Europe, the retail business in Canada, and the businesses in Asia Pacific, Latin America and China. The segment�� operations include Erasco and Heisse Tasse soups in Germany,Liebig and Royco soups in France, Devos Lemmens mayonnaise and cold sauces and Campbell�� and Royco soups in Belgium, and Bla Band soups and sauces in Sweden. In Canada, operations include Habitant and Campbell�� soups, Prego pasta sauces, Pace Mexican sauces, V8 juices and beverages and certain Pepperidge Farm products. In Asia Pacific, operations include Campbell�� soup and stock, Kimball sauces, V8 juices and beverages, Prego pasta sauce and Swanson broths.
U.S. Beverages
The U.S. Beverages segment represents the United States retail beverages business, including V8 juices and beverages, and Campbell�� tomato juice.
North America Foodservice
The North America Foodservice segment represents the distribution of products, such as soup, specialty entrees, beverage products, other prepared foods and Pepperidge Farm products through food service channels in the United States and Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Campbell Soup (CPB), the world's largest soup maker, cut its full-year sales forecast after posting weaker-than-expected quarterly sales as increased promotions failed to boost its U.S. soup division. Shares of Campbell, which also makes Prego pasta sauces and Pepperidge Farm cookies, fell 5.4 percent in premarket trading. The company said it expects sales from continuing operations to increase about 3 percent in fiscal 2014 ending July, compared with the previous forecast of a 4 to 5 percent rise. Campbell has been facing stiff competition from private-label brands and smaller rivals and has had trouble attracting younger, more health-conscious consumers to its canned soup products. The company launched eight new soups in January, including its first Latin-inspired cooking soups, and new varieties in its Healthy Request line. However, Campbell said Monday it was disappointed that its plans did not drive stronger soup sales in the third quarter ended April 27. "Despite an increase in the frequency of our promotional activity in the third quarter, we did not realize the anticipated lifts in a challenging consumer environment." Chief Executive Officer Denise Morrison said in a statement. Campbell didn't give a figure for U.S. soup sales for the quarter, but said sales "held steady" after growing 14 percent in the same quarter a year earlier. The company said it expects full-year adjusted earnings to be at the low end of its forecast of $2.53 to $2.58 a share. Analysts on average expect a profit of $2.53 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Net income attributable to Campbell rose 1.7 percent to $184 million, or 58 cents a share, in the third quarter. Excluding items, the company earned 62 cents a share. Net sales grew 0.4 percent to $1.97 billion. Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 59 cents a share on revenue of $2 billion. The company's shares had risen about 4 percent so far this year to Frida
- [By Paul Ausick]
Big earnings movers: Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) is down 3.2% at $43.30. Corinthian Colleges Inc. (NASDAQ: COCO) is down 10.3% at $2.34. JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) is down 6.9% at $7.40.
- [By Jonas Elmerraji]
Don't let Campbell Soup's (CPB) household name fool you -- investors absolutely hate this stock. That hasn't exactly worked out so well in 2013: Year-to-date, shares of CPB have rallied more than 37%.
That means that short sellers have been getting shellacked all year even if Campbell's short interest still stands at more than 13 this summer. That glut of beaten-down short sellers makes CPB a stellar short squeeze candidate right now.
Soup isn't Campbell's only business. The firm may be the largest soup maker the world, but it also owns food brands such as Pace, Swanson and Pepperidge Farm. The firm just announced a big move in selling its European soups, sauces and simple meals to private equity firm CVC Partners -- the deal should free up significant cash for CPB to return to shareholders without touching the U.S. segment that makes up more than 70% of sales.
While Campbell's 2013 rally has reduced its dividend yield right now, the firm's current 2.42% yield still qualifies as "high" in this extremely low interest rate environment. With earnings slated at the end of the month and the pricing details of the European deal with CVC yet to be announced, there's a lot of headline risk in being short Campbell right now. Watch out for a squeeze.
Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG (SZU)
Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG is a Germany-based company engaged in the processing of agricultural raw materials. The Company is organized, along with its subsidiaries, into four segments: the Sugar segment comprises sugar production and the agricultural division; the Special Products segment includes the activities of four divisions: BENEO, which produces and sells ingredients made from natural raw materials for food products and animal feed; the Freiberger Group is a producer of chilled and frozen pizzas, frozen pasta dishes and snacks; the PortionPack Europe group specializes in portion packs, and the starch division comprises starch companies in Hungary and Romania, bio-ethanol production in Austria and Hungary, as well as starch production facilities in Austria; the CropEnergies segment includes the bio-ethanol activities of the Company in Germany, Belgium and France, and the Fruit segment comprises the fruit juice preparations and fruit juice concentrates divisions. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
Volkswagen AG (VOW), Europe�� biggest automaker, climbed 3.7 percent as data showed European car sales increased for the first time in 19 months in April. Suedzucker AG (SZU) dropped to an eight-month low as J&E Davy Holdings Ltd. downgraded the shares.
Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: Post Holdings Inc (POST)
Post Holdings, Inc., incorporated on September 22, 2011, is a holding company. The Company is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded ready-to-eat cereals in the United States and Canada. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Great Grains, Grape-Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Honeycomb. It markets and sells ready-to-eat cereal products in three different categories: sweetened, balanced and unsweetened. Its sweetened products include Pebbles, Honeycomb, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Waffle Crisp. Its balanced products include Honey Bunches of Oats, Post Selects, Great Grains and Shreddies. The Company�� unsweetened products include Post Shredded Wheat, Post Raisin Bran and Grape-Nuts. Effective January 1, 2014, the Company announced it has completed the acquisition of private label pasta manufacturer Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 2, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Agricore United Holdings Inc from Viterra Inc, a unit of Glencore Xstrata PLC, and the transaction also included Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 1, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC, a Farmers Branch-based manufacturer and wholesaler of nutrition supplement. Effective January 1, 2014, it acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC and Golden Boy Foods Ltd.
Honey Bunches of Oats is in the ready-to-eat cereal market. The Company�� Pebbles brands include Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles. The products are manufactured through a flexible production platform consisting of four owned primary facilities and sold through a variety of channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Will Ashworth]
No? That’s OK — very few have. It doesn’t exist. At least not in a real investment account. It’s a figment of my imagination created after reading about Bill Stiritz, the current CEO of Post Holdings (POST) and former CEO of Ralston Purina.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Post Holdings�(POST) has plunged 11% to $39.69 after the cereal maker missed earnings forecasts and offered a truly horrific EBITDA forecast.
Lululemon Athletica�(LULU) has gained 5.4% to $41.12 after its founder sold half his stake in the athletic-apparel company and said he would not engage in a proxy battle for control.
Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: Unilever NV (UNA)
Unilever N.V. (NV) is a supplier of fast moving consumer goods. The two parent companies, NV and Unilever PLC (PLC), together with their group companies, operate as the Unilever Group (Unilever). The Company�� four product areas are Personal Care, Foods, Refreshment and Home Care. The Company's personal care, which includes sales of skincare and haircare products, deodorants and oral care products; foods, which includes sales of soups, bouillons, sauces, snacks, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarines and spreads; refreshment, which includes sales of ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight-management products and nutritionally enhanced staples sold in developing markets and home care, which includes sales of home care products, such as laundry tablets, powders and liquids, soap bars and a range of cleaning products. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Inyoung Hwang]
Unilever (UNA) slipped 2.8 percent to 27.94 euros after saying sales growth slowed as trading in emerging markets deteriorated at a faster rate. Underlying group sales for the three months will rise 3 percent to 3.5 percent, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap said late yesterday in a statement. That compares with 5 percent growth in both the first half and second quarter.
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