Sara Lee (SLE) has rejected an offer from a group of private-equity firms that includes Bain Capital, Apollo Management and TPG Capital, the New York Post reports. Overall option implied volatility of 20 is below its 26-week average of 24, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

PepsiCo (PEP) is expected to report Q4 EPS on February 10. Overall option implied volatility of 17 is near its 26-week average, according to Track Data, suggesting nondirectional near-term price movement.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Sara Lee Volatility Low on Uncertainty of Buyout Discussions originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the economy rebounds and credit markets warm up again, it looks like private equity firms are going back to work -- on big deals. According to Bloomberg.com, Apollo Global Management is prepared to offer $12 billion for Sara Lee (SLE). The transaction would also include investor C. Dean Metropoulos -- who bought Pabst Brewing in 2010 -- as well as Bain Capital and TPG.

It looks like this is a viable offer even though a strategic buyer is interested (which often can justify a higher valuation). This is JBS SA, a beef processor based in Brazil. An acquisition would certainly have lots of synergy, creating a vertical operation. Interestingly enough, JBS may seek the help of the Blackstone Group (BX).

Continue reading Buyout Interest Heats Up for Sara Lee

Buyout Interest Heats Up for Sara Lee originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ConAgra (CAG) is expected to report Q2 EPS on December 21. The company lowered Q2 guidance on December 9. January and March put option implied volatility of 22 is above its 26-week average of 19, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Sara Lee (SLE) the Wall Street Journal reported a sale or break up is possible. January call option implied volatility is at 33, February is at 31, above its six-month average of 25 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: ConAgra Volatility Low into Q2 EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Amgen (AMGN) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Goodrich Petroleum (GDP) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Tutor Perini (TPC) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Covidien (COV) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Sara Lee (SLE) and Comcast (CMCSA) to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Research In Motion (RIMM) to outperform from sector perform at FBN Securities.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMGN, CMCSA, GDP, FAST, FLR, KBR, PGR, RIMM, SLE, WAG ...

Analyst Calls: AMGN, CMCSA, GDP, FAST, FLR, KBR, PGR, RIMM, SLE, WAG ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sara Lee Corp. (SLE) isn't far from its 52-week high of $15.40. At the time of this writing, the quote was valued at $14.30. The shares have traded in a narrow range over the last twelve months; the 52-week low is $9.17.

The stock is experiencing selling pressure (it's currently down 1%) following the company's fiscal Q4 report. According to this article, adjusted profit of 19 cents per share beat the consensus by three pennies. Furthermore, the actual press release states that cash from operations came in at $952 million over the past four quarters; in the comparable period, the business generated $900 million from operations.

Continue reading Sara Lee Reports Second-Quarter Data

Sara Lee Reports Second-Quarter Data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee (SLE)?" Think again. Swiss company Nestle has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois-based food giant, claiming patent infringement of the Nespresso coffee system. While the Swiss are known for staying neutral, Nestle felt compelled to seek legal action in an effort to protect its highest-selling product.

Nespresso is the business model that keeps on giving ... once customers buy one of the high-end machines, they also need to buy capsules of blended coffee (available in 16 varieties of varying flavors and intensity). The machines run from $199 to $599 and the capsules are about 55 cents apiece (which provides one cup). That 12-cup-a-day habit can add up quickly.

Continue reading Nestle Sues Sara Lee over Patent Infringement

Nestle Sues Sara Lee over Patent Infringement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) saw shares rise following its report of better-than-expected Q1 earnings.
• Beazer Homes USA Inc. (BZH) posted a Q2 profit and revenue growth, and announced a stock offering.
• CBS Corp. (CBS) reported improvements in both Q1 net income and cash flow, but shares declined.
• Clorox Co. (CLX) posted Q3 earnings that were higher than analysts had expected and offered weak guidance.
• First Solar Inc. (FSLR) reported quarterly earnings that easily topped analysts' expectations.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: CBS, Clorox, Goodyear, MasterCard, News Corp., Time Warner ...

Earnings Highlights: CBS, Clorox, Goodyear, MasterCard, News Corp., Time Warner ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 May 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So ... how was your trading week? Mine wasn't so hot. But I guess we need to keep sifting through all those stocks that are now sporting claw marks courtesy of the growling bears who are now in control to figure out which ideas should be given a round of due diligence and which ones should be thrown by the wayside.

Let's check out Sara Lee (SLE). I like the one-year chart. The 52-week low on the stock is $8.71; the 52-week high is $14.36. The shares closed down by a mere three pennies on Friday to settle out at $13.44.

Continue reading Sara Lee: Buy or Sell?

Sara Lee: Buy or Sell? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 May 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) will commence an offer to acquire Perot Systems (NYSE: PER) for $30 per share in cash. DELL expects the transaction to be accretive to DELL's GAAP earnings in its fiscal year 2012. PER options were active last week, with 2,549 contracts trading on September 18, the most active day since July 2002. PER over all option implied volatility of 48 is above its 26-week average of 36, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) closed at $10.68. SLE October option implied volatility of 34 is near its 26-week average of 36. SLE options were active on September 18 with 17,563 contracts trading according to Track Data.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Perot Systems volume up into Dell's $3.9 billion acquisition originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) posted better-than-expected Q3 results, sending shares higher.
• AutoDesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) reported better-than-expected Q2 earnings, sending shares higher.
• Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) had another disappointing quarter as same-store sales declined.
• CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) delayed its Q3 report due to ongoing debt restructuring and a possible bankruptcy.
• Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS) Q2 earnings came in well ahead of Wall Street expectations.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Blockbuster, Walmart, Applied Materials, ING, Priceline ...

Earnings highlights: Blockbuster, Walmart, Applied Materials, ING, Priceline ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sara Lee (SLE) beats the Street by a nickel

Sara Lee (SLE) beats the Street by a nickel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week offered mixed messages about whether an economic recovery is indeed underway. The unemployment figures were not as bad as feared, but July sales numbers were nothing to write home about, despite the wild popularity of the so-called cash-for-clunkers program.

The question is, where has consumer confidence (and consumer spending) been? Retail is a good place to look, and as it turns out, this week several shopping mall and strip mall favorites will be reporting earnings for the most recent quarter.

Continue reading The week in preview: Eye on retail -- Walmart, Macy's, Blockbuster ...

The week in preview: Eye on retail -- Walmart, Macy's, Blockbuster ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Don't look now, but Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) is up about 20% in the past month. People gotta eat, and, thanks to the recession, they're opting to eat at home more often.

Sara Lee reports earnings on August 12, and analysts expect earnings per share to be 5 cents less than a year ago. Last quarter, the company blew out the estimate by nearly 40%.

With sentiment mixed (only a third of analysts rate the shares a "buy"), another beat this quarter should keep the rally intact.

Buy SLE call options.

Next: Earnings Trade #4

Earnings trade #3 -- Sara Lee (SLE) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Beating the Street at the earnings game is all about knowing the market's true expectations for a stock.

Knowing the market's expectations -- not just the analyst expectations -- for a stock will often provide the edge necessary to turn earnings season into a profit opportunity.

The more data and trends you can look at to determine not only what investors expect, but also how investors are positioning themselves for the expected move, the better.

Continue reading Win the earnings game with these four trades

Win the earnings game with these four trades originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"To paraphrase its marketing slogan: 'Nobody shouldn't like Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE),'" says Steve Ralston, consumer products sector expert at Zacks Investment Research.

"From the sales of staple products, consumer non-durable companies generate solid cash flow, with which management can enhance shareholder value through share repurchases and dividend increases.

"Recently restructured consumer non-durable companies are especially attractive, particularly if they are well-managed, trade at a single-digit P/E, and yield more than 4%.

"My favorite stock for 2009 is Sara Lee. Sara Lee announced a 5-year restructuring plan (the Transformation Plan) 3-1/2 years ago. The company has been right-sized, having divested unprofitable and low margin businesses.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: Sara Lee (SLE)

Top Stock Picks '09: Sara Lee (SLE) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Even in tough economic times, Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) should fair well thanks to its offering of non-cyclical goods," says quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian, editor of The Forbes Growth Investor.

"Sara Lee is a leading producer of branded foods, beverages, and personal care products. Roughly 50% of sales are generated outside of the U.S. Leading brands include Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, State Fair, Earth Grains, and Senseo brand coffee products.

"Management launched a comprehensive restructuring plan in 2005 to focus on core products and maximize operating efficiencies. These actions yielded $218 million in annualized cost savings in fiscal 2008.

"Food commodity costs soared earlier this year. However, SLE has been able to pass costs to customers through price increases. Furthermore, it has benefited from growing volumes. Fiscal Q4 net sales grew 12.2% year-over-year to $3.5 billion.

"With its earnings announcement, management issued fiscal 2009 guidance. It expects net sales to grow 4-6% year-over-year to $13.7-14 billion and pro forma earnings to grow 8-18% to 90-98 cents per share.

"Since issuing guidance, economic conditions have deteriorated significantly. This could lead to increased trading down activity to lower-priced brands or private-label goods.

"Also, the strengthening dollar has turned the foreign exchange tailwind into a headwind. Yet food commodity and energy costs have fallen significantly, which could provide margin relief for the company."

Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

Sara Lee (SLE): A buy for tough times originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) beat Q2 expectations but offered a weak outlook.
• Clear Channel Communications Inc. (NYSE: CCU) higher Q1 profits failed to beat expectations.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) just missed EPS estimates but raised its full-year guidance.
• CVS Caremark Corp. (NYSE: CVS) strong Q1 results only met Wall Street expectations.
• eResearch Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: ERES) beat Q1 expectations and offered Q2 and full-year guidance.
• Foster Wheeler Ltd. (NASDAQ: FWLT) beat estimates due to a boost in its power plant segment.
• Internet Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: INET) reported strong Q1 results on ongoing M&A.
• Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) widened its loss in Q1 but beat expectations.
• News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) Q3 earnings jumped on a one-time transaction with Liberty Media.
• NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) missed Q1 estimates but was upgraded by analysts anyway.
• NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) reported a first-quarter profit above analysts' estimates.
• Sara Lee Corp. (NYSE: SLE) Q3 profits surged but fell short of analysts' expectations.
• World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) posted strong results but couldn't cover its dividend.

Upcoming results to watch for include Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S), XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR), Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI), Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE), Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL), Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT), JC Penney (NYSE: JCP), Macy's (NYSE: M), Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Cisco, News Corp., Crocs, Clear Channel, WWE, CVS and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 May 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sara Lee (SLE) gets hit by volatile commodity prices

Sara Lee (SLE) gets hit by volatile commodity prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 May 2008 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Susquehanna downgraded Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN) to Neutral from Positive as they believe upside may be difficult given the macro environment, competition, and currency headwinds.
  
• JP Morgan lowered Monster (NASDAQ: MNST) to Neutral from Overweight following the company's expectations for higher 1Q08 operating expenses.
  
• Internap (NASDAQ: INAP) was downgraded by Merriman to Neutral from Buy as they believe upside will be limited until the company can complete its integration of the VitalStream CDN acquisition.

• JP Morgan cut Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) and Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) to Neutral from Overweight.
  
• Volkswagen (OTC: VLKAY) was downgraded at WestLB to Add from Buy.
  
• Merrill downgraded Getty Realty (NYSE: GTY) to Sell from Neutral.

Analyst downgrades: Priceline.com, Monster, Internap originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Pricey Wheaties: Grain prices surging on emerging market demand

Pricey Wheaties: Grain prices surging on emerging market demand originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.