sfd posts
FeedPosted Nov 22nd 2009 12:30PM by Trey Thoelcke (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, Forecasts, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Hormel Foods (HRL), Tyson Foods'A' (TSN)
Though the earnings season is winding down, and the coming week includes the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., plenty of reports are still due out. And analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters don't seem to be expecting too many turkeys among this week's bunch.
Leading U.S. meat processor Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN), which has just named a new chief executive officer and a new chief operating officer, is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $0.26 per share, up from $0.14 in the same period of last year. But revenue is expected to total $6.9 billion, or 4.3% less than a year ago. The full-year forecast is for a profit of $0.25 per share (-16.7) on $26.4 billion (-3.9%) in sales. This dividend payer has offered upside surprises in the past two quarters, topping estimates by 11 cents per share in the third quarter.
Continue reading The week in preview: No turkey earnings from Tyson, Hormel, Cracker Barrel ...
Posted Nov 11th 2009 12:00PM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Analyst initiations
Analyst upgrades:
- Citigroup upgraded FPL Group (FPL) to buy from hold on valuation and recommends buying the stock into the staff recommendation. The firm raised its target on shares to $58 from $55.
- Deutsche Bank upgraded Smithfield Foods (SFD) to buy from hold as it believes the company's fundamentals and export demand outlook are improving. The firm raised its target on shares to $20 from $12.
- Credit Suisse upgraded T. Rowe Price (TROW) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $60 from $55 based on strong net inflows and potential operating leverage.
- Microchip (MCHP) was upgraded to neutral from sell at Goldman.
- Toll Brothers (TOL) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
- Ascent Solar (ASTI) was upgraded to hold from underperform at Jefferies.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, H, HAL, TOL, TROW, TSN ...
Posted Sep 8th 2009 12:40PM by Elizabeth Harrow (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, Smithfield Foods (SFD), Options
Pork producer Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD) confessed Tuesday morning to a first-quarter loss of $107.7 million, or 75 cents per share, notably worse than its year-ago loss of just $13.2 million, or 10 cents per share. Excluding one-time charges, SFD would have swallowed a loss of 56 cents per share for the recently concluded quarter. Revenue for the period fell by more than 13% to $2.72 billion.
Both figures fell short of analysts' expectations, which called for a loss of 53 cents per share on $2.82 billion in revenue. Thanks to the twin factors of the recession and the still-spreading H1N1 virus -- a.k.a. the "swine flu" -- Chief Executive Larry Pope said, "I feel like the world has been against us for 12 months." (While H1N1 cannot be contracted by consuming pork products, the pork industry has suffered nevertheless by association.)
Continue reading Smithfield Foods suffers widened quarterly loss
Posted Sep 6th 2009 12:30PM by Trey Thoelcke (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, Forecasts, Economic data, Federal Reserve
Investors and analysts may be wondering whether the market rally is really over, and whether this signals more trouble ahead for the economy. Well, the Federal Reserve is scheduled to release its next Beige Book report of economic conditions on Wednesday, offering a glimpse of where things stand. The Beige Book report in July suggested that, in some of the 12 Fed districts, the economy appeared to be stabilizing, suggesting that the recession may have reached its bottom, but offering little sign of a recovery. Retail activity remained weak and employment numbers were not good. Yet the minutes of the FOMC August meeting seemed a bit more optimistic about the economy.
In addition to the Beige Book report, the TIPP Economic Optimism Index is scheduled to be released Tuesday, and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index comes out Friday. So by the end of the week, we could have a good gauge of the mood about the U.S. economy.
Continue reading The week in preview: It's Beige Book time again
Posted Apr 29th 2009 11:30AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Smithfield Foods (SFD), Analyst initiations, Lloyds TSB Group plc ADS (LYG), Barclays plc ADS (BCS), Thomson Reuters (TRI)
Analyst upgrades:
- Goldman upgraded Gerdau AmeriSteel (NYSE: GNA) to Buy from Neutral and has a $5.50 target on shares. Shares were upgraded due to the potential impact from infrastructure spending. Note that Goldman downgraded Steel Dynamics (NYSE: STLD) and Olympic Steel (NYSE: ZEUS) to Neutral from Buy.
- Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) to Buy from Neutral and raised the price target to $18 from $15. The firm the strong Q1 report gives them greater confidence in shares.
- Roth Capital upgraded Halozyme (NASDAQ: HALO) to Buy from Hold due to increased clarity into Roche programs, the discontinuation of the chemophase program, and progress on insulin delivery.
- American Movil (NYSE: AMX) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan and to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.
- Barclays (NYSE: BCS) and Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE: LYG) were upgraded at HSBC to Overweight from Neutral.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GNA, CCE, BCS, SFD, TRI ...
Posted Apr 27th 2009 1:00PM by Melly Alazraki (RSS feed)
Filed under: Walgreen Co (WAG), Novartis AG ADS (NVS), Baxter Intl (BAX), CVS Corp (CVS), Hormel Foods (HRL), Tyson Foods'A' (TSN), Smithfield Foods (SFD), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Agriculture

I remember Toronto during SARS. As one of the harder hit areas, it was not a happy place. It was the end of winter, but that miserable, cold winter just didn't want to end. People walked the streets in a gloomy haze, afraid to take the subway and giving dirty looks to anyone brazen enough to cough in public. Worse, I couldn't even visit a friend in the hospital. All things considered though, in global pandemic terms, it was over relatively quickly. Let's hope swine flu will be the same.
In the meantime, let's put on our investors hats and see what's in store for some stocks:
Travel and tourist stocksThis is one of the worst hit areas, especially airlines, as people may cancel their travel plans. For example,
AMR Corp. (NYSE:
AMR) traded over 9 percent lower an hour after the open.
Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:
RCL) was down over 15 percent. In fact UBS downgraded these airlines and hotels this morning: AMR,
Continental Airlines (NYSE:
CAL),
Host Hotels and Resorts (NYSE:
HST),
Lasalle Hotel Properties (NYSE:
LHO),
Marriott (NYSE:
MAR),
United Airlines (NASDAQ:
UAUA),
US Airways (NYSE:
LCC).
Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE:
CCL) also declined considerably. Best to stay away from the sector.
Continue reading Don't fear the swine flu . . . trade it
Posted Apr 27th 2009 9:00AM by Paul Foster (RSS feed)
Filed under: Smithfield Foods (SFD), Options
Telmex (NYSE: TMX) is expected to report Q1 EPS today. TMX May option implied volatility of 43 is below its 26-week average of 50, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.
Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD) closed at $10.32. SFD says it found no evidence of swine influenza at its Mexican joint ventures. SFD May option implied volatility of 102 is below its 26-week average of 112, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.
Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com
Posted Mar 14th 2009 12:40PM by Trey Thoelcke (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, McDonald's (MCD), Citigroup Inc. (C), Kroger Co (KR), Staples Inc (SPLS), Smithfield Foods (SFD), Texas Instruments (TXN), American Eagle Outfitters (AEO)
Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:
Continue reading Earnings highlights: Citigroup, Kroger, Staples, J. Crew, National Semiconductor and more
Posted Mar 13th 2009 11:00AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Wal-Mart (WMT), Merck and Co (MRK), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Palm Inc (PALM), Genentech Inc (DNA), Smithfield Foods (SFD), Analyst initiations, Teva Pharm Indus ADR (TEVA)
Analyst upgrades:
- Bernstein upgraded Merck (NYSE: MRK) to Outperform from Market Perform and raised its target to $30 from $27 citing valuation and its decision to buy Schering-Plough, at what appears to be a reasonable price.
- RBC Capital upgraded Palm (NASDAQ: PALM) to Outperform from Sector Perform and raised its target to $12 from $5 as it believes webOS has increased its chances for Smartphone leadership and will increase its attractiveness as an acquisition target.
- RW Baird upgraded Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) to Outperform from Neutral on valuation as it believes balance sheet risks are overly discounted in the stock, creating a buying opportunity. The firm has a $3 target on shares.
- Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) was raised to Buy from Hold at Argus.
- France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) was upgraded at Morgan Stanley to Equal Weight from Underweight.
- Foster Wheeler (NASDAQ: FWLT) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: MRK, PALM, DNA, WMT, TEVA ...
Posted Feb 26th 2009 11:15AM by Eric Buscemi (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Smithfield Foods (SFD), Analyst initiations, Anglo American (AAUKY)
Analyst upgrades:
- UBS upgraded Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) to Buy from Neutral but lowered its target to $42 from $45 following the solid Q4 report. The firm expects Dollar Tree's cost containment to continue. JP Morgan upgraded shares to Overweight from Neutral on valuation as it believes the recent pullback is overdone and the company set achievable FY09 guidance. The firm has a $43 target on the stock.
- JP Morgan also upgraded Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD) to Overweight from Neutral on valuation as they find the stock oversold at current levels.
- KeyBanc upgraded Nordson (NASDAQ: NDSN) to Hold from Underweight based on valuation, strong balance sheet and cost reductions, and a solid track record of execution.
- Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at HSBC.
- Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
- Carter's (NYSE: CRI) was upgraded at Goldman to Neutral from Sell.
Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DLTR, KWK, IRE, AAUK, JNJ ...
Posted Dec 9th 2008 4:20PM by Douglas McIntyre (RSS feed)
Filed under: After the bell, Analyst reports, General Motors (GM), Nokia Corp. (NOK), FedEx Corp (FDX), Merck and Co (MRK), Delta Air Lines (DAL)
The market sold off, but the activity was not broad and had little conviction. After days of gains, there was no surprise in it.
It ran like this:
DJIA: 8,669.11 (down 2.97%)
NASDAQ: 1,547.43 (down 1.55%)
S&P 500: 887.23 (down 2.47%)
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) lost some ground on fears of a delay in the proposed $15 billion Congressional bailout plan. After this gained so much yesterday, much of this was in the news already.
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) traded down after its annual pipeline review. The event included formal guidance out of the company on its drug pipeline for the next year and general commentary about how many drugs are in the pipeline for 2010 to 2012. Financial guidance did not seem to impress the market.
Continue reading Closing bell: Stocks retreat after recent rally; GM, MRK, SFD, FDX, DAL all down, NOK, TXN, NSM, ALTR gain
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