GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE: GSK ) diabetes drug Avandia causes heart issues. Or maybe it doesn't. Either way, regulators figured the risks weren't worth the benefit, leading to the EU pulling Avandia off the market and the Food and Drug Administration slapping a very restrictive Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, with an Elements To Assure Safe Use, or ETASU, which hampered new prescriptions.
And now it's not. I guess.
After a two-day advisory committee meeting, half of the 26 panelists recommended that the FDA modify the REMS/ETASU, with seven others voting that they should be removed altogether. Five thought the REMS/ETASU should remain, and only one panelist voted for the most restrictive option, removing Avandia from the market.
The FDA has the final say, but assuming it follows its outside experts' advice, it seems likely that the restrictions on Avandia sales will be lightened a little.
Damage done
Not that lightening the restrictions is likely to help sales all that much. In its heyday, Avandia sales topped $3 billion annually. Now Glaxo doesn't even bother breaking out sales. Best guess, Avandia is lumped into Glaxo's metabolic category, where it was categorized previously before sales slumped. The category managed U.S. sales of just $2 million -- with an M -- in the first quarter of 2013.
5 Best Defense Stocks To Watch For 2015: Amira Nature Foods Ltd (ANFI)
Amira Nature Foods Ltd., incorporated on February 20, 2012, is a provider of packaged Indian specialty rice, with sales in over 40 countries. It generates the majority of its revenue through the sale of Basmati rice, a long-grain rice grown only in certain regions of the Indian sub-continent. The Company sells its products, primarily in emerging markets, through a distribution network. It sells its Amira brand in more than 25 countries. The Company sells its Amira branded products to Indian retailers such as Bharti Wal-Mart, Big Bazaar, Metro Cash & Carry, Spar, Spencer's Retail, Star Bazaar (Tesco in India) and Total and retailers, such as Carrefour, Costco, Jetro Restaurant Depot, Lulu's and Smart & Final, and through the foodservice channel. It participates across the entire rice supply chain from the procurement of paddy to its storage, aging, processing into rice, packaging, distribution and marketing. In June 2013, the Company announced that it has launched Amira branded products in the United Kingdom. In January 2014, Amira Nature Foods Ltd acquired Basmati Rice GmbH.
The Company operates an automated and integrated processing and milling facility that is located in the vicinity of the key Basmati rice paddy producing regions of northern India. The facility spans a covered area of 310,221 square feet, with a processing capacity of 24 metric tons of paddy per hour. During the year ended March 31, 2012, 34% of its revenue was derived from sales in India, and 50.3% was derived from sales in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, or EMEA, 14.3% was derived from sales in the Asia Pacific region, and 1.4% was derived from sales in North America.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tom Bishop]
Steve Halpern: One of your recent recommendations is a company that, really, was probably unknown to most investors. It's called Amira Nature Foods (ANFI) , which is a maker of premium rice. Can you tell us briefly about that?
- [By Jeremy Bowman]
What:�Shares of�Amira Nature Foods� (NYSE: ANFI ) were looking healthier today, gaining as much as 11% after the company named a new chief financial officer last night.
- [By Peter Graham]
The Q4 2014 earnings report for Dubai headquartered specialty Basmati rice stock Amira Nature Foods Ltd (NYSE: ANFI), a potential performance peer of other specialty food stocks like The Chefs Warehouse, Inc (NASDAQ: CHEF) and Israel based G Willi-Food International Ltd (NASDAQ: WILC), is due out before the market opens on Tuesday. Aside from the Amira Nature Foods Ltd earnings report, it should be said that The Chefs Warehouse, Inc reported Q1 2014 on May1st (results were negatively impacted by the severe weather that affected many of our core markets) while G Willi-Food International Ltd reported Q1 2014 earnings on May 28th (results were�affected by a decline of consumption by Israeli customers). However, Amira Nature Foods Ltd shares fell as much as 22% after reporting third-quarter earnings back in February plus the stock is the sixth most shorted stock on the NYSE with short interest of 45.30%�according to HighShortInterest.com.
Top 5 Food Companies To Own For 2014: 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 Rich Duprey]
It may have been a win for consumers, but cereal maker Post Holdings� (NYSE: POST ) lost out when its second-quarter earnings got milled by falling prices on top of higher costs.
- [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.
- [By Ali Berri]
Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Post Holdings (NYSE: POST) were down 23.99 percent to $33.83 after the company reported a Q3 loss of $0.30 per share on revenue of $633.0 million. The company also announced its plans to acquire American Blanching Company. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey downgraded Post Holdings from Buy to Hold and lowered the price target from $70.00 to $45.00. - [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.
Top 5 Food Companies To Own For 2014: Canada Bread Company Ltd (CBY)
Canada Bread Company, Limited is a manufacturer and marketer of flour-based products in its various markets, including fresh bread in Canada, frozen partially baked bread in the United States and Canada, specialty bakery products, including fresh pasta and sauces, sweet goods and snack cakes in Canada, and bagels, croissants and other specialty baked goods in the United Kingdom. It operates in two segments: Fresh Bakery business includes pantry breads, rolls, flatbreads, artisan breads, sweet goods and snack cakes sold under a number of brands, including Dempster��, Villaggio, POM, Bon Matin and Ben��, and Frozen Bakery segment consists of frozen par-baked bakery products sold in North America and the United Kingdom bakery business, which specializes in bagels, croissants, and specialty breads. In November 2013, the Company clearanced and closed the sale of Olivieri Foods, to Ebro Foods SA. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Gerrit De Vynck]
The Toronto-based food producer, which owns 90 percent of Canada Bread Co. (CBY), said in October it would explore options for the stake, including a possible sale as it divests assets to focus on its meat business. With several suitors evaluating the company, a sale is looking more likely, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. Maple Leaf hired Centerview Partners LLC and Royal Bank of Canada to look for buyers, the people said.
Top 5 Food Companies To Own For 2014: Lifeway Foods Inc (LWAY)
Lifeway Foods, Inc., (Lifeway), incorporated on May 19, 1986, is engaged in the manufacturing of probiotic, cultured, functional dairy and non-dairy health food products. The Company�� primary products are kefir sold under the name Lifeway Kefir and Helios Nutrition Organic Kefir; a line of yogurts sold under the Lassi brand, and BasicsPlus, a dairy based immune-supporting dietary supplement beverage. In addition to the drinkable products, Lifeway manufactures Lifeway Farmer Cheese, a line of various farmer cheeses, a line of gourmet cream cheeses, and Sweet Kiss, a fruit sugar-flavored spreadable cheese similar in consistency to cream cheese. The Company also manufactures and markets a vegetable-based seasoning under the Golden Zesta brand. Lifeway manufactures all of its products at Company-owned facilities and distributes its products throughout the United States.
Lifeway�� primary product, kefir is a fermented dairy product. Lifeway�� Kefir is a drinkable product intended for use as a breakfast meal or a snack, or as a base for lower-calorie dressings, dips, soups or sauces. Kefir is also used as the base of Lifeway�� plain farmer�� cheese, a cheese made without salt, sugar or animal rennet. In addition, kefir is the primary ingredient of Lifeway�� Sweet Kiss product, a fruit sugar-flavored, cream cheese-like spread which is intended to be used as a dessert spread or frosting. Lifeway�� Kefir is a drinkable kefir product manufactured in 10 regular and low-fat varieties, including plain, pomegranate, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, cherry, peach, banana-strawberry, cappuccino and vanilla, and sold in 32-ounce containers and 8-ounce single serving containers featuring color-coded caps and labels describing nutritional information. The kefir product is marketed under the name Lifeway�� Kefir and is sold by retailers from their dairy sections.
Lifeway�� Organic Kefir meets the organic standards and specifications of the United States Department of Agricul! ture for organic products and is manufactured in five flavors: plain, wildberry, raspberry, strawberry and peach. Lifeway�� Organic Kefir is sweetened with organic cane juice. Lifeway�� Slim6 is a line of low-fat kefir beverages with no added sugar designed for consumers who follow low-carbohydrate diets. Lifeway�� Slim6 has only eight grams of carbohydrates and 2.5 grams of fat per 8-ounce serving and is available in five flavors: strawberries n��cream, mixed berry, tropical fruit, strawberry-banana and an original, unsweetened version. ProBugs is a kefir product that contains 10 live and active kefir cultures. Aimed at children ages 2-9, ProBugscomes in three flavors, Sublime Slime Lime, Orange Creamy Crawler and Goo-Berry Pie and is packaged in no spill spout pouches designed as cartoon bug characters Peter, Polly and Penelope ProBug.
Farmer Cheese is based on a cultured soft cheese and is intended to be used in a variety of recipes as a low fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie substitute for cream cheese or ricotta, and is available in various styles. Sweet Kiss is a sweet cheese probiotic spread available in five flavors: plain, plain with raisins, apple, peach and chocolate. Elita and Bambino cheeses are low-fat, low-cholesterol kefir based cheese spreads, which are marketed as an alternative to cream cheese. Krestyanski Tworog is a European-style kefir-based soft style cheese which can also be used in a variety of recipes, eaten with a spoon, used as a cheese spread, or substituted in recipes for cream cheese, ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and is marketed to consumers of various Eastern European ethnicities.
Basics Plus is a kefir-based beverage product designed to support gastrointestinal functions and the immune system. Kefir Starter is a powdered form of kefir that is sold in envelope packets and allows a consumer to make his or her own drinkable kefir at home by adding milk. Lifeway continues to develop sales of this product through the Internet. Lassi is a c! ultured d! rink inspired by the traditions of India and is sold in 8-ounce containers in two flavors, strawberry and mango. Golden Zesta is a vegetable-based seasoning, which, because of its low sodium content, may also be used as a salt substitute and is marketed to delicatessens, gourmet shops and ethnic grocers. Helios Nutrition Organic Kefir is a kefir product made from organic milk and manufactured with a blend of active cultures. It is sold in 8 and 32 ounce bottles and made in five flavors: peach, plain, strawberry, vanilla and raspberry.
The Company competes with Danone Foods, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James Brumley]
Once the budget impasse is wrapped up though, a new Dairy Stabilization Act should be right around the corner. That’s good news for a small-cap company like dairy farm Lifeway Foods (LWAY), which saw its shares fall nearly 25% over the course of August and September when the budget impasse was shaping up.
- [By Rich Smith]
In possibly related news, shares of a Danone sometimes-partner, sometimes-rival in the drinkable yogurt market, kefir-maker Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ: LWAY ) , is seeing its shares come under pressure Tuesday. Specializing in grocery sales, Lifeway also operates a chain of yogurt-inspired restaurants of its own known as "Starfruit Cafe." As Danone shares gain 0.5%, Lifeway is down 4.5%.
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