Healthy Products, Cost Cuts Spur Profits

Article Excerpt

CONAGRA FOODS INC. $25 (New York symbol CAG; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 489.8 million; Market cap: $12.2 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) is phasing out less-profitable food products to focus on those with greater potential, such as foods aimed at health-conscious consumers. In its first fiscal quarter ended August 26, 2007, earnings before unusual items rose 30.8%, to $0.34 a share from $0.26 a year earlier. Sales rose 11.1%, to $3.0 billion from $2.7 billion. An ongoing cost cutting plan continues to help ConAgra cope with higher prices for ingredients and fuel. Profits at its commodity trading division, which accounts for about 10% of total revenue, rose four-fold due to rising fertilizer prices. The company has resumed production of its Peter Pan peanut butter after a recent salmonella outbreak. The problems had little impact on ConAgra’s stock, which now trades at 16.7 times the $1.50 a share it will probably earn in fiscal 2008. The improving earnings should let it…