Today's trading in the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) demonstrates the ongoing battle between bulls and bears over the prospects for the economy. On one hand, signs of strength in the housing sector have bolstered hopes that the key driver of economic activity will continue to pick up and benefit workers throughout the economy. Yet this morning's data on jobless claims added to concerns that overall employment trends continue to lag behind, raising fears that the U.S. may join other countries around the world in seeing already-sluggish growth rates decelerate further. After yesterday's big drop, the Dow has regained 37 points, or 0.25%, as of 11 a.m. EDT today. The S&P 500 is up by a similar percentage, and the Nasdaq is down slightly.
Yet even if the economy is poised for a slowdown, certain stocks will likely benefit. McDonald's (NYSE: MCD ) is up more than 1% this morning, climbing above the $100 mark and approaching all-time highs. Even as the company faces a strike in New York City by workers who want better pay, McDonald's attracts defensively minded investors because of its record of holding up well in past downturns. The fast-food giant was one of the few stocks that actually rose during 2008's bear market, and with stocks teetering at current high levels, investors want that kind of protection again.
Hot Trucking Stocks To Own Right Now: SuperValu Inc.(SVU)
SUPERVALU INC., together with its subsidiaries, operates retail food stores in the United States. Its stores offer grocery, general merchandise, health and beauty care, pharmacy, and fuel products. The company operates stores under the Acme, Albertsons, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher?s, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw?s, Shop ?n Save, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, and Star Market banners, as well as in-store pharmacies under the Osco and Sav-on banners. It operates approximately 2,394 traditional and hard-discount retail food stores, including 899 licensed Save-A-Lot stores. The company also offers supply chain services, which include wholesale distribution of products to independent retailers, including single and multiple grocery store independent operators, regional and national chains, mass merchants, and the military customers, as well as provides logistics support services. SUPERVALU was founded in 1871 and is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU ) will release its quarterly report on Thursday, and investors are increasingly optimistic that the grocery-store chain has finally turned the corner, and is poised for a rebound. Although the company is much smaller after having divested itself of several of its biggest chains, SUPERVALU nevertheless has the potential to remain profitable.
- [By Vanina Egea] of 700 to 800 small format stores annually adds to an increasing number of dollar stores subscribing to loss-leader strategies. In this context, the firm undertook a fair price plus promotion strategy in fiscal 2013. This initiative has lowered prices to a competitive position at the expense of margins, in the hope for market share gains in the long term.
Cost Cuts
Apart from underperforming stores sellout, Supervalu has undertaken additional cost reduction initiatives which are expected to lower administrative expenses by $250 million through fiscal 2014. The reduction of its store count, I turn, is expected to generate $80 million to $90 million in savings in the next three years.
Moving Forward
In the third quarter of fiscal 2013, the firm reported adjusted earnings of $0.13, a significant improvement compared to the negative $0.07 delivered the year before. Revenues, however, fell by $1.05 in relation to the prior year, due to negative comps in the retail segment, which have been declining for four consecutive years.
Further, the firm does not have any share buyback plans for fiscal 2014 and will not pay dividends to shareholders until March 2018.
Supervalu showcases a negative return on capital of -9.24% compared to the industry average of 20.02%. And its three-year average revenue growth delivered a dismal -25.1% compared to its peers��median of 1.0%.
Investment guru John Keeley (Trades, Portfolio) recently sold out his holding in the company, backing my feeling that despite the company�� efforts, a good position in a highly competitive market will be hard to achieve.
Disclosure: Vanina Egea holds no position in any stocks mentioned.
About the author:Vanina EgeaA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree AnalyticsVisit Vanina Egea's Website
Currently 5.00/512345Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes)
Voters: Subscribe via Email Subscribe RSS Comments Please leave your comment: $(document). - [By Caroline Bennett]
Grocery store chain SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU ) has appointed Bruce Besanko to be its new executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective as of Aug. 7.
Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: J&J Snack Foods Corp (JJSF)
J & J Snack Foods Corp. (J & J), incorporated in 1971, manufactures nutritional snack foods and distributes frozen beverages, which it markets nationally to the food service and retail supermarket industries. The Company�� principal snack food products are soft pretzels marketed under the brand name SUPERPRETZEL and frozen juice treats and desserts marketed under the LUIGI��, WHOLE FRUIT, ICEE and MINUTE MAID brand names. In June 2012, the Company acquired the assets of Kim & Scott�� Gourmet Pretzels, Inc., a manufacturer and seller of a brand soft pretzel. In October 2013, J & J Snack Foods Corp. acquired the assets of New York Pretzel.
J & J is a manufacturer of soft pretzels in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Other snack food products include churros (an Hispanic pastry), funnel cake, dough enrobed handheld products and bakery products. The Company�� principal frozen beverage products are the ICEE brand frozen carbonated beverage and the SLUSH PUPPIE brand frozen uncarbonated beverage. The Company�� Food Service and Frozen Beverages sales are made to food service customers, including snack bar and food stand locations in chain, department, discount, warehouse club and convenience stores; malls and shopping centers; fast food outlets; stadiums and sports arenas; leisure and theme parks; movie theatres; independent retailers, and schools, colleges and other institutions. The Company�� retail supermarket customers are supermarket chains. The Company operates in three business segments: Food Service, Retail Supermarkets and Frozen Beverages.
The products sold by the food service segment are soft pretzels, frozen juice treats and desserts, churros, dough enrobed handheld products and baked goods. Its customers in the food service segment include snack bars and food stands in chain, department and discount stores; malls and shopping centers; casual dining restaurants; fast food outlets; stadiums and sports arenas; leisure and theme parks; convenience stores; m! ovie theatres; warehouse club stores; schools, colleges, and other institutions. The products sold to the retail supermarket channel are soft pretzel products, including SUPERPRETZEL, frozen juice treats and desserts, including LUIGI�� Real Italian Ice, MINUTE MAID Juice Bars and Soft Frozen Lemonade, WHOLE FRUIT frozen fruit bars and sorbet, ICEE Squeeze-Up Tubes and dough enrobed handheld products, including PATIO burritos. The Company sells frozen beverages to the food service industry primarily under the names ICEE, SLUSH PUPPIE, PARROT ICE and ARCTIC BLAST in the United States, Mexico and Canada. It also provides repair and maintenance service to customers for customers��owned equipment.
Soft Pretzels
The Company�� soft pretzels are sold under many brand names, which are SUPERPRETZEL, PRETZEL FILLERS, PRETZELFILS, GOURMET TWISTS, MR. TWISTER, SOFT PRETZEL BITES, SOFTSTIX, SOFT PRETZEL BUNS, TEXAS TWIST, CINNAPRETZEL and SERIOUSLY TWISTED!; and under private labels. Soft pretzels are sold in the Food Service and Retail Supermarket segments. During fiscal year ended September 29, 2012 (fiscal 2012), soft pretzel sales amounted to 18% of the Company�� revenue.
Soft pretzels, ranging in size from one to ten ounces in weight, are shaped and formed by the Company�� twister machines. These soft pretzel tying machines are for twisting dough into the traditional pretzel shape. In addition, it makes soft pretzels, which are extruded or shaped by hand. The Company�� marketing program in the Food Service segment includes supplying ovens, mobile merchandisers, display cases, warmers and similar merchandising equipment to the retailer to prepare and promote the sale of soft pretzels.
Frozen Juice Treats and Desserts
The Company�� frozen juice treats and desserts are marketed primarily under the LUIGI��, WHOLE FRUIT, ICEE and MINUTE MAID brand names. Frozen juice treats and desserts are sold in the Food Service and Retail Supermarke! ts segmen! ts. During fiscal 2012, frozen juice treats and dessert sales were 13% of the Company�� revenue.
The Company�� school food service MINUTE MAID and WHOLE FRUIT frozen juice bars and cups are manufactured from an apple or pineapple juice concentrate to which water, sweeteners, coloring (in some cases) and flavorings are added. The juice bars are produced in various flavors and are packaged in a sealed push-up paper container referred to as the Milliken M-pak. The balance of the Company�� frozen juice treats and desserts products are manufactured from water, sweeteners and fruit juice concentrates in various flavors and packaging, including cups, tubes, sticks, M-paks, pints and tubs.
Churros
The Company�� churros are sold under the TIO PEPE�� and CALIFORNIA CHURROS brand names. Churros are sold to the Food Service and Retail Supermarkets segments. During fiscal 2012, Churro sales were 6% of the Company�� sales. Churros are Hispanic pastries in stick form, which the Company produces in several sizes. The churros are deep fried, frozen and packaged. At food service point-of-sale they are reheated and topped with a cinnamon sugar mixture. The Company also sells fruit and creme-filled churros. The Company supplies churro merchandising equipment.
Handheld Products
The Company's dough enrobed handheld products are marketed under the PATIO, HAND FULLS, HOLLY RIDGE BAKERY, VILLA TALIANO, TOP PICKS brand names and under private labels. Handheld products are sold to the Food Service and Retail Supermarket segments. During fiscal 2012, handheld product sales amounted to 6% of the Company's sales.
Bakery Products
The Company�� bakery products are marketed under the MRS. GOODCOOKIE, READI-BAKE, COUNTRY HOME, MARY B��, DADDY RAY�� and JANA�� brand names, and under private labels. Bakery products include biscuits, fig and fruit bars, cookies, breads, rolls, crumb, muffins and donuts. Bakery products are sold ! to the Fo! od Service segment. During fiscal 2012, bakery products sales amounted to 32% of the Company�� sales.
Frozen Beverages
The Company markets frozen beverages primarily under the names ICEE, SLUSH PUPPIE, PARROT ICE and ARCTIC BLAST in the United States, Mexico and Canada. During fiscal 2012, frozen beverages are sold in the Frozen Beverages segment. During fiscal 2012, frozen beverage sales amounted to 16% of revenue in fiscal 2012.
Under the Company�� principal marketing program for frozen carbonated beverages, it installs frozen beverage dispensers for its ICEE and ARCTIC BLAST brands at customer locations and thereafter services the machines, arranges to supply customers with ingredients required for production of the frozen beverages, and supports customer retail sales efforts with in-store promotions and point-of-sale materials. During fiscal 2012, the Company also provided repair and maintenance service to customers for customers��owned equipment and sells equipment in its Frozen Beverages segment, revenue from which amounted to 7% of sales. The Company sells frozen un-carbonated beverages under the SLUSH PUPPIE and PARROT ICE brands through a distributor network and through its own distribution network.
Each new frozen carbonated customer location requires a frozen beverage dispenser supplied by the Company or by the customer. Company-supplied frozen carbonated dispensers are purchased from outside vendors, built new or rebuilt by the Company. The Company provides managed service and/or products to approximately 87,000 Company-owned and customer-owned dispensers.
Other Products
Other products sold by the Company include soft drinks, funnel cakes sold under the FUNNEL CAKE FACTORY brand name and smaller amounts of various other food products. These products are sold in the Food Service and Frozen Beverages segments.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]
Hologic Inc.(HOLX) named Eric Compton as its chief operating officer, a newly created position, amid a handful of leadership changes at the medical-equipment maker. Mr. Compton most recently worked as the world-wide president of Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. J&J(JJSF) in January agreed to sell the�blood-testing business for $4.15 billion to Carlyle Group L.P(CG).
Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: Koninklijke Ahold NV (AHONY)
Koninklijke Ahold N.V. (Ahold), incorporated on April 29, 1920, is engaged in the operation of retail food stores in the United States and Europe through subsidiaries and joint ventures. Ahold�� retail operations are presented in four segments: Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover, Giant-Carlisle, Albert Heijn and Albert/Hypernova. During the fiscal year ended January 3, 2010 (fiscal 2009), it operated 2,909 stores. On February 8, 2010, Ahold�� Giant-Carlisle acquired 25 stores from Ukrop�� Super Markets.
Franchisees operated 783 of the Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall stores, 463 of which were either owned by the franchisees or leased independently from Ahold. Of the 2,446 stores, 20% were company-owned and 80% were leased. Ahold�� stores range in size from 20 to over 10,000 square meters. Albert Heijn is a food retailer in the Netherlands. Etos is a health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands. Gall & Gall is a wine and liquor specialist in the Netherlands. Stop & Shop is a supermarket brand, operating in six states in the northeast United States. Giant-Landover is a supermarket brand, operating in four states in the mid-Atlantic United States. Peapod is an online grocery delivery service working in partnership with Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover. It also serves the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, and the northern areas of Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
As mentioned, Kroger is still swallowing Harris Teeter and has said it needs time to make more acquisitions. Royal Ahold (NASDAQOTH: AHONY ) is also said to be leery about doing large acquisitions these days, while Cerberus recently finished acquiring the Albertsons and Acme chains from SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU ) �for $3.3 billion.
Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: 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 Paul Ausick]
Notable earnings reports currently on tap for next week: Qihu 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: QIHU), Avago Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO), LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Joy Global Inc. (NYSE: JOY), Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD), and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL).
- [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Alamy SodaStream (SODA) isn't getting any smaller. The company behind the popular namesake beverage platform that turns tap water into sparkling soda posted another quarter of inspired growth last week. Revenue climbed 29 percent during the period, and SodaStream now sees sales climbing 30 percent for all of 2013. The stock opened lower on the news, but that was largely on bottom-line concerns. SodaStream has been investing in its TV commercials, adding additional production to its global facilities, and buying up its distributors in Italy and Canada to have more control of its operations. These are the kinds of moves that will trip up margins and earnings growth in the near term, but as far as consumers go, SodaStream has never been more popular. How Sweet It Fizz Home carbonation didn't seem like a viable business model until SodaStream emerged on the global scene with a refreshed platform. There have been home-based soda makers before, and SodaStream itself has been in business for more than 100 years. If you look online, it's not hard to find the company's cheesy "get busy with the fizzy" commercial that aired in England more than 30 years ago. However, it wasn't until SodaStream brought in Dan Birnbaum as CEO in 2007 that things really started to get busy with the fizzy. Birnbaum had been an executive at Nike (NKE), and at the footwear and apparel giant, branding is a major component of the overall strategy. So when he came on board, he didn't just move to make the soda maker more efficient, he also wanted to make it more stylish. To turn SodaStream's small appliance into something that wouldn't end up collecting dust in the attic like other novelty products (we're looking at you snow cone maker and Margaritaville margarita machine) it had to look good on the kitchen counter. Beyond that, it was a matter of beefing up global distribution by getting its products sold in major retailers. A soda maker couldn't succeed if it was a fringe product being
- [By Johanna Bennett]
And Campbell Soup (CPB), however, fell 1.3% to $38.87 after Goldman Sachs cut�the stock�to a Neutral from a Buy, saying it was wrong in its prior assumption that the soup maker was on a path back to sustainable peer group average performance.
Top Food Companies To Own For 2014: 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 Food Companies To Own For 2014: Ten Peaks Coffee Company Inc (TPK)
Ten Peaks Coffee Company Inc. (Ten Peaks) is a Canada-based company. It operates its business through its subsidiary, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company Inc. (SWDCC), which is a green coffee decaffeinator located in Burnaby, British Columbia. It also owns and operates Seaforth Supply Chain Solutions Inc. (Seaforth), a green coffee handling and warehousing business located in Metro Vancouver. SWDCC is engaged in the coffee decaffeination business utilizing the branded Swiss Water Process of 100% chemical free green coffee decaffeination. SWDCC has two subsidiaries, which include Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Co. USA, Inc, and Swiss Water Process Marketing Services Inc. On November 18, 2011, a subsidiary of Ten Peaks, Seaforth Supply Chain Solutions Inc., was incorporated. On January 1, 2011, in response to changes to the legislation governing the taxation of income trusts which made the income trust form of structure less advantageous, the Fund converted to a corporation. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Inyoung Hwang]
Travis Perkins Plc (TPK) lost 1.6 percent to 1,749 pence. The builders��merchant said its consumer division failed to grow on a comparable basis in the third quarter, slipping from an 8.6 percent increase in the two months ended June.
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