Currency Gains Fuel Heinz’s Earnings

Article Excerpt

H.J. HEINZ CO. $38 (New York symbol HNZ; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 314.4 million; Market cap: $11.9 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) earned $0.87 a share (total $276.7 million) in its second fiscal quarter ended October 29, 2008, up 22.5% from $0.71 a share ($227.0 million) a year earlier. That was mainly due to a $92.4 million pre-tax gain on currency exchange hedging contracts, which added about $0.17 a share to Heinz’s latest quarterly earnings. Sales grew 3.5%, to $2.6 billion from $2.5 billion. Heinz’s well-known brands make it easier for it to pass along higher food and other costs to consumers. Expanding sales in emerging markets also contributed to the overall gain. Heinz should benefit from the slowing economy, as more people choose to eat at home instead of in restaurants. The stock trades at a reasonable 13.1 times the $2.90 a share it will likely earn in fiscal 2009. The $1.66 dividend yields 4.4%. Heinz is a buy…