Their long-term outlooks remain bright

Article Excerpt

The shares of these two food ingredient suppliers have dropped lately, mainly due to concerns that an economic slowdown would hurt their sales and make it harder to raise their selling prices. However, they play a vital role in global food production, which bodes well for their long-term prospects. ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO. $71 is a buy. The company (New York symbol ADM; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 544.6 million; Market cap: $38.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.adm.com) processes corn, wheat, soybeans, flax seed and other crops into a variety of food ingredients such as flour, oils and sweeteners. It’s also a leading producer of ethanol from corn, a gasoline additive that reduces harmful emissions. Archer’s revenue in the quarter ended September 30, 2023, fell 12.1%, to $21.70 billion from $24.68 billion a year earlier. Earnings before unusual items fell 12.4%, to $1.63 a share from $1.86. The lower results are largely because lower…