Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ) and the best and worst performers in the shelf-stable food industry.
As America industrialized and moved away from an agricultural economy, people faced more demands on their time. Packaged foods emerged as a solution offering convenience to the evolving American family, whether it be canned goods or snacks. Today, Americans seek brands that are high in quality, reliable, and reasonably priced. Furthermore, there's a growing emphasis on health-conscious and sustainable food options. Packaged food stocks are considered resilient investments. People always need to eat, so these companies can enjoy consistent demand as long as they stay on top of changing consumer preferences. The industry spans from multinational corporations to smaller specialized firms and is subject to food safety and labeling regulations.
The 21 shelf-stable food stocks we track reported a slower Q4. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.5% above.
While some shelf-stable food stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2.4% since the latest earnings results.
Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ)
Founded as Nabisco in 1903, Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is a packaged snacks powerhouse best known for its Oreo, Cadbury, Toblerone, Ritz, and Trident brands.
Mondelez reported revenues of $9.60 billion, up 3.1% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.
“Fiscal 2024 was another strong year of performance for our company. We delivered balanced top-line growth, strong earnings, and robust free cash flow generation, while returning significant capital back to shareholders," said Dirk Van de Put, Chair and Chief Executive Officer.
The stock is up 19.4% since reporting and currently trades at $67.03.
Read our full report on Mondelez here, it’s free.
Best Q4: Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ:LANC)
Known for its frozen garlic bread and Parkerhouse rolls, Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ:LANC) sells bread, dressing, and dips to the retail and food service channels.
Lancaster Colony reported revenues of $509.3 million, up 4.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. The business had a very strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
Lancaster Colony scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 5.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $175.61.
Is now the time to buy Lancaster Colony? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q4: Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW)
Best known for its Grown in Idaho brand, Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) produces and distributes potato products such as frozen french fries and mashed potatoes.
Lamb Weston reported revenues of $1.60 billion, down 7.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.
Lamb Weston delivered the weakest full-year guidance update in the group. As expected, the stock is down 30.8% since the results and currently trades at $54.03.
Read our full analysis of Lamb Weston’s results here.
B&G Foods (NYSE:BGS)
Started as a small grocery store in New York City, B&G Foods (NYSE:BGS) is an American packaged foods company with a diverse portfolio of more than 50 brands.
B&G Foods reported revenues of $551.6 million, down 4.6% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a narrow beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
The stock is down 2.9% since reporting and currently trades at $6.64.
Read our full, actionable report on B&G Foods here, it’s free.
Kellanova (NYSE:K)
With Corn Flakes as its first and most iconic product, Kellanova (NYSE:K) is a packaged foods company that is dominant in the cereal and snack categories.
Kellanova reported revenues of $3.12 billion, down 1.6% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. It was a strong quarter as it also logged a solid beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.
The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $82.45.
Read our full, actionable report on Kellanova here, it’s free.
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