Top 10 Food Companies For 2014

U.S. stock markets are moving slightly higher today as the earnings-fueled rally continues. The only major economic data was a 1.2% drop in existing-home sales, which shouldn't be a big shock, because interest rates have been rising for two months now. With 20 minutes left in trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is down a forgettable four points, while the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) is also rather flat, up just 0.13%.

Shares of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) have fallen 2.7% after the company reported earnings that fell short of expectations. Revenue rose 2.4% to $7.08 million, and earnings rose 4.5% to $1.38 per share, but both results were short of expectations. Performance in Europe and China was disappointing, and management said the rest of the year would be challenging as well. The company is facing headwinds such as slowing global growth and increasingly health-conscious consumers, which will keep growth low for the fast-food giant.�

Top Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2015: Safeway Inc.(SWY)

Safeway Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and drug retailer in North America. The company operates stores that provide an array of grocery items, food, and general merchandise, as well as features specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral, and pharmacy, as well as coffee shops and fuel centers. It also offers SELECT line of products that include baked goods, sparkling ciders and lemonades, salsas, whole bean coffees, frozen pizzas and entrees, and fresh and dry pastas and sauces, as well as an array of ice creams, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts; O ORGANICS line, which comprises milk, chicken, salads, juices, and entrees; Lucerne line of dairy products; Eating Right line of better-for-you products; Bright Green line of home care products; Total Pet Care line of pet foods and pet care products; and Value Red line of value-priced paper goods. As of December 31, 2009, Safeway operated approximately 1,725 stores in California, Oregon, Wash ington, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba/Saskatchewan. In addition, the company owns and operates GroceryWorks.com Operating Company, LLC, an online grocery channel, doing business under the names Safeway.com, Vons.com, and Genuardis.com; and Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., which provides third-party gift cards, prepaid cards, telecom cards, and sports and entertainment cards to North American retailers for sale to retail customers. Additionally, it engages in gift card businesses in the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, and Australia. Further, the company, through a 49% ownership interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V. operates 156 food and general merchandise stores in Western Mexico. The company was formerly known as Safeway Stores, Incorporated and changed its name to Safeway Inc. in February 1990. Safeway was founded in 1915 and is based in Pleasanton, California. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  Supermarket giants Albertsons and Safeway (SWY) made news last week by agreeing to merge, creating a combined company that will fall just shy of Kroger (KR) in terms of store count. Cerberus Capital, the private equity firm that owns Albertsons, has offered to pay $40 per share for Safeway.

Top 10 Food Companies For 2014: Nash-Finch Company(NAFC)

Nash-Finch Company operates as a wholesale food distributor in the United States. The company?s Military segment distributes grocery products to the United States military commissaries and exchanges in the United States and the District of Columbia, Europe, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Azores, Egypt, and Bahrain. Its Food Distribution segment sells and distributes various branded and private label grocery products and perishable food products to approximately 1,500 independent retail locations through its 14 distribution centers. This segment also provides various services, including promotional, advertising, and merchandising programs; installation of computerized ordering, receiving, and scanning systems; retail equipment procurement assistance; accounting, budgeting, and payroll contract services; consumer and market research; remodeling and store development services; supply chain through Internet services; and securing existing grocery stores. The company?s Retail segment operates corporate-owned grocery stores under the Sun Mart, Econofoods, AVANZA, Family Thrift Center, Pick ?n Save, Family Fresh Market, Prairie Market, Saver?s Choice, Wally?s Supermarkets, and Wholesale Food Outlet banners primarily in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. This segment?s conventional grocery stores offer a range of grocery products and services, such as fresh meat counters, delicatessens, bakeries, eat-in cafes, pharmacies, banks, and floral departments, as well as provide check cashing, fax services, and money transfer services. As of December 31, 2011, the company served 93 retail stores operating under the IGA banner and 50 retail stores under the Food Pride banner; and operated 43 conventional supermarkets, 1 AVANZA grocery store, 1 Wholesale Food Outlet grocery store, and 1 Saver?s Choice store. Nash-Finch Company was founded in 1885 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  Sysco has avoided the margin compression suffered by chicken producers Tyson (NYSE: TSN  ) and Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ: CALM  ) and which was more deeply felt by smaller food-service operator Nash-Finch (NASDAQ: NAFC  ) . (It is omitted from this chart due to its drop into outright negative operating margin territory (a decline of roughly 250% in two years.) However, fellow food-service company United Natural Foods (NASDAQ: UNFI  ) has actually improved its margins, and restaurant chains both large and small (well, mid-size) have done an admirable job of holding the margin line in the face of rising input costs. So it appears that scale alone isn't enough to help Sysco outrun the rising costs of its products.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Nash-Finch (NASDAQ: NAFC  ) and Spartan Stores (NASDAQ: SPTN  ) jumped as much as 16% and 15%, respectively, after Spartan said it would buy Nash-Finch, primarily for its military stores.

Top 10 Food Companies For 2014: Barry Callebaut AG (BARN)

Barry Callebaut AG is a Switzerland-based producer of cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products. The Company�� manufacturing process involves all stages of the cocoa and chocolate value chain from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of the finished products. The Company operates three geographical segments, including Europe, Americas and Asia-Pacific, as well as its business segment Global Sourcing & Cocoa. The Global Sourcing & Cocoa business segment is responsible for the procurement of ingredients for chocolate production, including mainly cocoa, as well as sugar, dairy and nuts as common ingredients, as well as the Company's cocoa processing business. The Company serves the food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to professional or artisanal users of chocolate. The Company operates more than 50 chocolate and cocoa factories, and is present in over 30 countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Elan Corp. jumped 8.4 percent in Dublin after authorizing the process of its sale. Hochtief AG gained the most in four months after the German builder said it will buy as much as 260 million euros ($346 million) of its own shares. Michelin & Cie, Europe�� largest tiremaker, added 4.7 percent after data on its website showed tire demand surged in Brazil last month. Barry Callebaut AG (BARN) lost 3.4 percent after the maker of bulk chocolate sold about $302 million of new shares.

Top 10 Food Companies For 2014: B&G Foods Inc (BGS)

B&G Foods, Inc. (B&G Foods), incorporated on November 25, 1996, manufactures, sells and distributes a range of branded shelf-stable food and household products across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Company complements its branded product retail sales with institutional and food service sales and limited private labels sales. On October 31, 2012,the Company acquired New York Style, Devonsheer, JJ Flats and Old London brands from Chipita America, Inc. The Company's Ortega brand and its products span the shelf-stable Mexican food segment including taco shells, tortillas, seasonings, dinner kits, taco sauces, peppers, refried beans, salsas and related food products. The Company new product offerings include Ortega whole grain corn taco shells and Ortega reduced sodium taco seasoning. Its Maple Grove Farms of Vermont brand is apure maple syrup sold in the United States. Other products under the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont label include a line of gourmet salad dressings, sugar free syrups, marinades, fruit syrups, confections, pancake mixes and organic products. The Cream of Wheat brand is a brand of hot cereals sold in the United States. Cream of Wheat is available in Original 10-minute, 21/2 minute and one-minute versions, and also in instant packets of Original and other flavors. The Company also offers Cream of Rice, a rice-based hot cereal. In July 2013, B&G Foods Inc announced that it has completed the acquisition of Robert's American Gourmet Food, LLC dba Pirate Brands from VMG Partners. In October 2013, B&G Foods Inc acquired Rickland Orchards LLC.

The Mrs. Dash brand of salt-free seasonings is available in more than a dozen blends. The Polaner brand consists of a range of fruit-based spreads as well as jarred wet spices such as chopped garlic and oregano. Polaner All Fruit is a national brand of fruit-juice sweetened fruit spread. The spreads are available in more than a dozen flavors. Polaner Sugar Free preserves are the brand of sugar free preserves nationally. The L! as Palmas brand primarily includes authentic Mexican enchilada sauce, chili sauce and various pepper products. The Bloch & Guggenheimer (B&G) brand and its pickle, pepper and relish products consists of shelf-stable pickles, peppers, relishes, olives and other related specialty items. The B&M brand is the original brand of brick-oven baked beans and remains authentic baked beans. The B&M line includes a range of baked beans and brown bread. The Underwood brand's (Underwood Devil) logo is used for a prepackaged food product in the United States. Underwood meat spreads, include deviled ham, white-meat chicken, roast beef and liverwurst.The New York Style brand includes Original Bagel Crisps, Mini Bagel Crisps, Pita Chips and Panetini Italian Toast.

The Ac'cent brand is a all-natural flavor enhancer for meat preparation and is generally used on beef, poultry, fish and vegetables. The Company offers a line of pasta sauces, seasonings, cooking stocks, mustards, salsas, pepper sauces, dip mixes and cooking sprays under the Emeril's brand name. The Old London brand offers a variety of flavors available in melba toasts, melba rounds and other snacks. Old London also markets specialty snacks under the Devonsheer and JJ Flats names. The Trappey's brand include peppers and hot sauces, including Trappey's Red Devil. The Don Pepino and Sclafani brands primarily include pizza and spaghetti sauces, whole and crushed tomatoes and tomato puree. The Grandma's brand of molasses include molasses sold in the United States. Grandma's molasses products are offered in two styles: Grandma's Original Molasses and Grandma's Robust Molasses. The Joan of Arc brand, which originated in 1895, includes a full range of canned beans including kidney, chili and other varieties.

The Regina brand includes vinegars and cooking wines. Regina products are commonly used in the preparation of salad dressings as well as in a variety of recipe applications, including sauces, marinades and soups. The Static Guard brand i! nclude th! e anti-static spray category. The Sugar Twin brand is a calorie free sugar substitute. The Baker's Joy brand include no-stick baking spray with flour. The Wright's brand is an all-natural seasoning that reproduces the flavor and aroma of pit smoking in meats, chicken and fish. Wright's is offered in three flavors: Hickory, Mesquite and Applewood. The Brer Rabbit brand offers mild and full-flavored molasses as well as blackstrap molasses. Mild molasses is designed for table use and full-flavored molasses is typically used in baking, barbeque sauces and as a breakfast syrup. The Sa-son brand is a flavor enhancer used primarily for Puerto Rican and Hispanic food preparation. The product is generally used on beef, poultry, fish and vegetables. The brand's flavor enhancer is offered in four flavors: Original, Coriander and Achiote, Garlic and Onion, and Tomato. The Company also offers reduced sodium versions of Sa-son. The Vermont Maid brand include maple-flavored syrup under the brand name. Vermont Maid syrup is available in regular, sugar-free and sugar-free butter varieties. The Molly McButter brand include the butter sprinkles category. Molly McButter is an all natural sprinkle, available in butter and cheese flavors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniela Pylypczak]

  B&G Foods (BGS) released its third quarter results on Thursday after the closing bell.

  The company reported earnings of 35 cents for the third quarter, slightly below analyst expectations of 40 cents. Revenues were reported at $181.4 million, below estimates of $184.83 million. From a year prior, B&G did see net sales increase 17.6%, though net income decreased 9.2% due to losses on extinguishment of debt, and acquisition-related transaction costs of $3.4 million.

  Commenting on the company’s performance, CEO David L. Wenner stated “Our business saw continued strong growth in net sales, net income and adjusted EBITDA during the third quarter. Putting acquisition growth aside, our base business net sales followed industry trends and declined for the quarter. Given current trends in the packaged foods industry, we expect growth in our base business to be challenging during the fourth quarter of 2013.”

  B&G Foods shares traded 0.43% higher during Thursday’s session. Year-to-date, the stock is up 26.59%.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Among holdings in which Diamond Hill Capital Management increased its stake was B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS  ) , a snack specialist recently yielding 3.3%. B&G has faced rising food costs in recent years, and has also been a frequent acquirer, though some would like to see it grow organically, without relying on acquisitions. (A recent buy is Pirate Brands, maker of Pirate's Booty snacks.) Its brands include Ortega, Mrs. Dash, Cream of Wheat, Underwood, Molly McButter, Baker's Joy, and Static Guard. Its just-completed quarter featured revenue up 8% but net income in the red and overall results underperforming expectations.

Top 10 Food Companies For 2014: General Mills Inc (GIS)

General Mills, Inc. (General Mills), incorporated on June 20, 1928, is a manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores. The Company is also a supplier of branded and unbranded food products to the foodservice and commercial baking industries. The Company manufactures its products in 15 countries and markets them in more than 100 countries. The Company's joint ventures manufacture and market products in more than 130 countries and republics worldwide. General Mills operates in three segments: U.S. Retail, International, and Bakeries and Foodservice. In addition, the Company sells ready-to-eat cereals through its Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) joint venture. In February 2012, General Mills acquired Food Should Taste Good, a natural snack foods company based in Needham Heights, Mass. During the fiscal year ended May 27, 2012, the Company acquired a 51% interest in Yoplait S.A.S. and a 50% interest in Yoplait Marques S.A.S. In August 2012, it acquired Yoki Alimentos SA.

General Mills�� ready-to-eat cereals consists of Cheerios, Wheaties, Lucky Charms, Total, Trix, Golden Grahams, Chex, Kix, Fiber One, Reese�� Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Clusters, Oatmeal Crisp and Basic 4. Its refrigerated yogurt include Yoplait, Trix, Delights, Go-GURT, Fiber One, YoPlus, Whips!, Mountain High, Liberte, YOP, Perle de Lait, Petits Filous and Panier. The Company�� refrigerated and frozen dough products consists of Pillsbury, the Pillsbury Doughboy character, Grands!, Golden Layers, Big Deluxe, Toaster Strudel, Toaster Scrambles, Simply, Savorings, Jus-Rol, Latina, Pasta Master, Wanchai Ferry, V.Pearl and La Saltena. The dry dinners and shelf stable and frozen vegetable products includes Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, Chicken Helper, Old El Paso, Green Giant, Potato Buds, Suddenly Salad, Bac*O��, Betty Crocker Complete Meals, Valley Selections, Simply Steam, Valley Fresh Steamers, Wanchai Ferry, Diablitos and Parampara. Its gr! ain, fruit, and savory snacks consists of Nature Valley, Fiber One, Betty Crocker, Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit By The Foot, Gushers, Chex Mix, Gardetto��, Bugles, Food Should Taste Good and Larabar. The sessert and baking mixes includes Betty Crocker, SuperMoist, Warm Delights, Bisquick and Gold Medal. Ready-to-serve soup consists of Progresso. The Company�� ice cream and frozen desserts include Haagen-Dazs, Secret Sensations, Cream Crisp and Dolce. Its frozen pizza and pizza snacks includes Totino��, Jeno��, Pizza Rolls, Party Pizza, Pillsbury Pizza Pops and Pillsbury Pizza Minis. General Mills�� organic products include Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen.

The Company�� products are marketed under trademarks and service marks that are owned by or licensed to the Company. Some of the brand names include Dora the Explorer, Disney Cars, and Disney Princesses for yogurt, and Dora the Explorer for cereal; Reese's Puffs for cereal; Hershey's chocolate for a variety of products; Weight Watchers as an endorsement for soup and frozen vegetable products; Macaroni Grill for dry and frozen dinners; Sunkist for baking products and fruit snacks; Cinnabon for refrigerated dough, frozen pastries, and baking products; Bailey's for super-premium ice cream, and a range of characters and brands for fruit snacks, including Scooby Doo, Batman, Tom and Jerry, Ocean Spray, Thomas the Tank Engine, My Little Pony, Transformers, and various Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon characters. Its primary customers include grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, drug, dollar and discount chains, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, and convenience stores.

U.S. Retail segment

The Company�� U.S. Retail segment reflects business with a range of grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, and drug, dollar and discount chains operating throughout the United States. Its product categories in thi! s busines! s segment include ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, ready-to-serve soup, dry dinners, shelf stable and frozen vegetables, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, grain, fruit and savory snacks, and a range of organic products, including granola bars, cereal and soup.

International segment

The Company�� International segment consists of retail and foodservice businesses outside of the United States. In Canada, its product categories include ready-to-eat cereals, shelf stable and frozen vegetables, dry dinners, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza snacks, refrigerated yogurt, and grain and fruit snacks. In markets outside North America, its product categories include super-premium ice cream and frozen desserts, refrigerated yogurt, grain snacks, shelf stable and frozen vegetables, refrigerated and frozen dough products, and dry dinners. Its International segment also includes products manufactured in the United States for export, mainly to Caribbean and Latin American markets, as well as products it manufactures for sale to its international joint ventures.

Bakeries and Foodservice segment

In Company�� Bakeries and Foodservice segment its product categories include cereals, snacks, refrigerated yogurt, unbaked and fully baked frozen dough products, baking mixes, and flour. It sells to distributors and operators in many customer channels, including foodservice, convenience stores, vending and supermarket bakeries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Before the opening bell on Wednesday, packaged foods manufacturer General Mills, Inc. (GIS) reported that its first quarter profit declined 16% year-over-year, despite an 8% rise in quarterly sales. However, earnings were able to meet Wall Street analysts’ expectations, while sales topped views.

  The Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company posted a first quarter net income of $459.3 million, or 70 cents per share, down from the $548.9 million, or 82 cents per share, earned in the same period a year ago. According to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, the company was expected to earn 70 cents per share in the most recent quarter.

  General Mills’ first quarter revenues rose to $4.37 billion, up 8% from the $4.05 billion in sales posted in the first quarter last year. On average, analysts were expecting the company to see $4.29 billion in revenues in the quarter.

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ken Powell said this performance represented a solid start to the new fiscal year. “In particular, our net sales growth in the quarter reflects a healthy mix of gains from established brands, strong introductory shipments for new products, and contributions from new businesses added to our portfolio. These first-quarter results have us on track to achieve the key financial targets we’ve set for fiscal 2014.”

  The company said that sales from new businesses and products contributed 5 percentage points to General Mills’ 8% total sales growth.

  Looking forward, the company reaffirmed its fiscal 2014 guidance. General Mills expects revenues to grow in the low single-digits for the year, operating profits to grow in the mid single-digits, and adjusted earnings per share to come in between $2.87 and $2.90. Wall Street analysts expect the company to earn $2.92 per share in fiscal 2014.

  General Mills shares were up 32 cents, or 0.64%, during pre-market trading on Wednesday. The stock is up 23.16% year-to-dat

• [By WhisperNumber]

  General Mills (GIS) is expected to report earnings on Wednesday, June 26th. The whisper number is $0.52, one cent behind the analysts' estimate. Whispers range from a low of $0.47 to a high of $0.55. GIS has a 67% positive surprise history (having topped the whisper in 22 of the 33 earnings reports for which we have data).

Top 10 Food Companies 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.

Top 10 Food Companies For 2014: Crumbs Bake Shop Inc (CRMB)

Crumbs Bake Shop, Inc., formerly 57th Street General Acquisition Corp., incorporated on October 29, 2009, is owner of Crumbs Holdings LLC (Crumbs), a neighborhood bakery and a retailer of cupcakes. As of November 1, 2011, Crumbs had 43 locations, including 29 locations in the New York Metro area, nine locations on the West Coast, three locations in Washington, D.C., one location in Virginia and one location in Chicago. The specialty of the house is cupcakes; however, the menu also includes a blend of baked goods. On May 5, 2011, the Company merged with Crumbs.

The Company offers a range of Signature and Taste size cupcakes. Signature cupcakes are ordered in increments of six. One can create its own individual six packs or choose a pre-selected assortment. Its Taste size cupcakes are offered by the dozen in pre-selected favorites assortments. There are more than 60 varieties of cupcakes baked fresh daily with a new cupcake of the week debuting each Monday.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jack Kramer and Nick Martell]

  2. Crumbs Cupcake stock continues to drop
  Pour some sugar on me, baby, because the recent performance of cupcake-makin' chain Crumbs Bake Shop (NASDAQ: CRMB  ) hasn't tasted good for investors. The stock has fallen nearly 30% in the past month, dropped 13.4% in the last week, and dipped almost 2% Monday on growing doubts the company can even stay in business.