Topic: Growth Stocks

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, August 10, 2012

Article Excerpt

HILLSHIRE BRANDS CO., $25.32, New York symbol HSH, makes a variety of packaged meat products. Its main brands include Ball Park hot dogs, Jimmy Dean sausages and Hillshire Farm deli meats. Other products include Sara Lee frozen desserts and Chef Pierre pies. The company took its current form on June 28, 2012. That’s when Wall Street Stock Forecaster recommendation Sara Lee Corp. (New York symbol SLE) split itself into two separate companies: Hillshire Brands and D.E. Master Blenders 1753 N.V. (see below). Following the spinoff of D.E. Master, the remaining Sara Lee shares were converted into Hillshire stock and consolidated on a 1-for-5 basis. Adjusting for the breakup, Hillshire’s sales would have risen 4.0% in its 2012 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2012, to $4.0 billion from $3.9 billion in fiscal 2011. If you exclude the contribution of an acquisition, sales would have risen 1.2%. The company also raised its prices to cover higher ingredient costs. Even with the sales increase, operating…