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☆ Cramer: Diversification is crushing investors this year. Will 2024 be different?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The stock of Club holding Morgan Stanley (MS) dropped to $70 from $100 before bouncing back to $80 when interest rates recently peaked. Morgan Stanley and Schwab did nothing bad or shameful, but their multiples are shadows of their former selves. At least Morgan Stanley has a nice dividend yield of 4.25%. Key, Huntington, First Horizon, Morgan Stanley and Schwab are all good franchises that are regarded as cheap. The Morgan Stanley headquarters is seen in New York City on Jan. 17, 2023.

Persons: It's, Huntington Bancshares, Stephen Steinour, Chris Gorman, Bryan Jordan, Morgan Stanley, That's, Charles Schwab, Schwab, We're, Macy's, Albert Bourla, Myers, Meyers, Eli Lilly, let's, Mills, Campbell Soup, WK Kellogg, McCormick, Neutrogena, Johnson, Edwards, Zimmer Biomet, Becton Dickenson, Baxter, BAX, Ford, Hess, Tesla, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Michael M Organizations: Dominion, Federal Reserve, Nordstrom, Pfizer, Bristol, Myers, Hostess Brands, Novo Nordisk, PepsiCo, Hershey, Brands, Spice, Johnson, Moderna, American Electric Power, Duke Energy, Motors, JetBlue, EOG Resources, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Nvidia, Apple, Federal Trade Commission, CNBC, Santiago, Getty Locations: Huntington, Memphis, Tennessee, Toronto, United States, Celgene, Bristol, New York City

[1/2] Hostess Brands "Twinkies" are displayed in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 5, 2016. Smucker (SJM.N) said on Monday it will buy Twinkies-maker Hostess Brands (TWNK.O) in a $5.6 billion deal, as major U.S. packaged food companies look to expand their brand portfolios with pandemic-era fortunes dwindling. J. M. Smucker will pay Hostess shareholders $34.25 per share in a cash and stock deal, representing a premium of 54% since the day before the report surfaced. Hostess Brands became an acquisition target after it managed to boost its revenue through price hikes that fueled investor concerns over its prospects with its volume growth consistently declining. Smucker and Hostess deal follows a spree of other deals including that of Campbell Soup's (CPB.N) $2.7 billion deal for Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O) and Unilever (ULVR.L) buying premium frozen yogurt brand Yasso in North America.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Smucker, Campbell Soup's, Hostess, Ding Dongs, Dimpal Gulwani, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anirban Sen, Savio D'Souza, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, Hostess Brands, Reuters, Hostess, Mills Inc, Mondelez, PepsiCo Inc, Hershey Co, Sovos, Unilever, Hos, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, North America, Lenexa , Kansas, Ho, Bengaluru, New York

[1/2] Hostess Brands "Twinkies" are displayed in a store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S. July 5, 2016. Smucker (SJM.N) on Monday agreed to buy Twinkies maker Hostess Brands (TWNK.O) for $5.6 billion including debt in a deal that unites two major American snack makers. The deal was worth about $4.6 billion excluding debt, with Jif peanut butter maker Smucker paying Hostess shareholders $34.25 per share. Campbell Soup's (CPB.N) recent acquisition of Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O) represented an adjusted EBITDA multiple of 14.6 times, including run rate savings, and 19.8 times excluding those. Based in Lenexa, Kansas, Hostess was founded in 1930 and is behind several iconic household brands, including Ho-Hos, Ding Dongs, Zingers, and Voortman cookies and wafers.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Smucker, Campbell Soup's, Smucker's, Campbell, Hostess, Ding Dongs, Dean Metropoulos, Alec Gores, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anirban Sen, Abigail Summerville, Dimpal, Savio D'Souza, Shinjini Ganguli, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Hostess Brands, Reuters, Sovos, JPMorgan, Sovos Brands, Hos, Smucker, Apollo Global Management Inc, Hostess, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, North America, Lenexa , Kansas, Ho, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Hostess surges 19% after the Twinkie maker agrees to $5.6 billion takeover by JM Smucker
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Hostess stock climbed roughly 19% Monday, while JM Smucker declined as much as 8%. Jelly company Smucker agreed to acquire the Twinkie maker for $5.6 billion. Hostess investors will receive $30 in cash, and 0.3002 share of Smucker's stock for each share of Hostess they owned. Hostess shareholders will get $30 in cash and 0.03002 share of Smucker stock for every Hostess share they owned. In 2016, the company had gone public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company.

Persons: JM Smucker, Smucker, Ding Dongs, Hostess, Campbell's Soup Organizations: Service, Hostess, Sovos Brands, Unilever Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ U.S. food companies go deal hunting as pandemic growth fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Campbell Soup (CPB.N) struck a $2.7 billion deal for Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O). Reuters GraphicsReuters Graphics Reuters Graphics"Large food companies need to add more new concepts, new flavor profiles and new food items because their old brands - though still growing - are not growing at a meaningful rate," Milani said. Packaged food companies "are now faced with some difficult comparisons on organic (sales) and are seeking some strategic, category-specific M&A targets that will propel them through the next few years," Henry said. "Most of the large cap packaged food companies have ... diligently reduced their debt and improved their balance sheet (through the pandemic)...so they have the risk capacity and risk appetite to pursue large-scale acquisitions," CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said. "These packaged food companies need to continue finding ways to stay relevant ... And so one of the easiest ways to do that is through M&A."

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Campbell, There's, Michael Milani, Baker Tilly, Milani, Kraft Heinz, Sarah Henry, Henry, Mills, Luca Zaramella, Hershey, J.P, Morgan, Arun Sundaram, Deborah Sophia, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Campbell Soup, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Sovos, Unilever, Mars, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Logan Capital Management, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Barclays, Hostess Brands, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, North America, dealmaking, Bengaluru

☆ How Rao's pasta sauces went from the kitchen of New York's most exclusive Italian restaurant to be sold to Campbell's in a $2.7 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Specialty foods company Sovos bought the brand in 2017 and grew sales to more than $600 million. Bobby Bank/WireImageSales grew slowly until 2017 when specialty foods company Sovos Brands bought the Rao's Homemade packaged foods division and turned up the proverbial heat. Hermida added that sauce makes up more than 80% of Sovos' business, and that one in eight US households buy Rao's Homemade sauce. Sovos reported Rao's brand sales of $580 million in 2022, largely through Costco and Walmart, and sales have already climbed more than 33% in 2023. On Monday, Sovos announced a $2.7 billion deal with Campbell Soup in which the packaged foods giant would acquire the group, including Rao's Homemade.

Persons: Sovos, Campbell Soup, Frank Pellegrino Sr, Frank Pellegrino, Dino Gatto, Yuri Hermida, Forbes, Hermida, Campbell Organizations: Service, Bobby Bank, WireImage, Sovos Brands, Costco, Walmart Locations: Wall, Silicon, East Harlem, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Rao's

☆ Campbell Soup Company buys Sovos Brands, maker of Rao’s for $2.7 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Iconic canned soup company Campbell is expanding its reach in the Italian food market. Campbell (CPB) announced Monday that it would acquire Sovos Brands, maker of the popular Italian food brands like Rao’s sauces and Michael Angelo’s frozen entrees, as well as noosa yogurt, in a deal worth $2.7 billion. But Campbell said Rao’s sauces attract a different consumer set than Prego’s. “Rao’s is the premium, market-leading sauce and it strengthens and diversifies our Meals & Beverages portfolio, complementing the core, mainstream portfolio,” the company told CNN. Sovos Brands founder and head Todd Lachman called the acquisition a “momentous occasion.”“We have built a one-of-a-kind, high growth food company focused on taste-led products across a portfolio of premium brands, anchored by the Rao’s brand,” he said in a statement included in Campbell’s news release.

Persons: Campbell, Angelo’s, “ We’re, ”, Mark Clouse, Rao’s, Michael Angelo’s, Todd Lachman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Campbell, Sovos Brands, Beverages, CNN, “ Locations: New York, noosa, “ noosa

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Sovos Brands, BioNTech, Tyson Foods and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tyson Foods — Shares of the food processing company fell more than 7% after Tyson's fiscal third-quarter report missed estimates on the top and bottom lines. Tyson generated 15 cents in adjusted earnings per share on $13.14 billion of revenue. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were expecting 26 cents per share on $13.59 billion of revenue. Sovos Brands — Shares of Rao's parent Sovos Brands' popped 25% in premarket trading after food giant Campbell Soup said Monday it would acquire the pasta sauce maker for $2.33 billion. Campbell will pay $23 per share for the company, which is 27.6% higher than the Sovos Brands' last closing price.

Persons: Tyson, Refinitiv, DaVita, Campbell Soup, Campbell, Wells, Warren Buffett's, BioNTech, it's, Nikola —, Viatris, —, Fred Imbert, Samantha Subin, Yun Li, Tanaya Macheel, Jesse Pound Organizations: UBS, Brands, Campbell Soup, Berkshire Hathaway —, KKR —, KKR Locations: Covid

☆ Campbell Soup CEO talks merger with Rao's sauce maker: 'This is a juggernaut'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Campbell Soup CEO Mark Clouse told CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday that his company's acquisition of Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands is one of the best growth stories in the food business. Along with Rao's, Sovos also owns yogurt brand Noosa and frozen food brand Michael Angelo's. However, the premium Italian sauce brand is Sovos' money maker, representing 69% of its adjusted net sales in 2022, the company said. Clouse said the acquisition was an opportunity to drive Sovos' household penetration, or the portion of households reached by the products. He said the business is currently at 14% household penetration, while the benchmark for a premium brand is around 20%.

Persons: Campbell, Mark Clouse, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Rao's, Sovos, Michael Angelo's, Clouse, Monday's Organizations: Sovos, Pepperidge Locations: Noosa

☆ Campbell to buy Rao's premium sauces maker Sovos for $2.33 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - U.S. packaged food maker Campbell Soup (CPB.N) will buy Michael Angelo's and Rao's owner Sovos Brands (SOVO.O) for $2.33 billion in cash, the company said on Monday, beefing up its meals and beverages business with the maker of premium Italian sauces. Campbell will pay $23 per share for Sovos, a nearly 28% premium to the stock's last close. Sovos' shares were trading at $22.48 while Campbell slipped 1.2% to $44.58 in early trade. Last month, Unilever (ULVR.L) said it would buy frozen yogurt brand Yasso in North America while Mars Inc agreed to buy Kevin's Natural Foods. In May, Campbell Soup sold Emerald Nuts to Flagstone Foods for an undisclosed amount.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Campbell, Michael Angelo's, beefing, Sovos, Campbell Soup, Arun Sundaram, Savyata Mishra, Savio D'Souza, Shweta Agarwal, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Sovos Brands, Unilever, Mars Inc, Flagstone Foods, CFRA, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, North America, Canada, Bengaluru

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Tesla, Berkshire Hathaway, PayPal, Cinemark and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The company earned €168 million in revenue, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected €672 million. The company reported adjusted net income and revenue that beat expectations for the second quarter. Viatris reported revenue of $3.92 billion, while analysts polled by StreetAccount called for $3.86 billion. PayPal – PayPal stock climbed 2% after launching its first stablecoin, PayPal USD, backed by the U.S. dollar on Monday. Analysts polled by FactSet are forecasting an adjusted 5 cents per share on $534.2 million in sales.

Persons: Tesla, Zach Kirkhorn, Vaibhav Taneja, Taneja, BioNTech, Refinitiv, Tyson, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren, StreetAccount, Andrew Mok, Sovos, Campbell, Sovos Brands, Campbell Soup, Morgan Stanley, Benjamin Swinburne, Oppenheimer, Yun Li, Alex Harring, Samantha Subin Organizations: Refinitiv, Berkshire, Warren, UBS, Sovos, PayPal, U.S, FactSet Locations: Gruenheide, Germany, BioNTech –, stablecoins, U.S

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Meta, Apple, Uber, Target, SoFi, Nike, Amazon, GM and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said in a note Friday that it sees several reasons for share outperformance. Morgan Stanley upgrades Evotech to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the drug discovery and development company is well-positioned for artificial intelligence. As such we are upgrading to Market Perform with a $44 price target." Morgan Stanley reiterates Snowflake as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's bullish heading into the company's upcoming investor day. Barclays reiterates Uber as overweight Barclays raised its price target on Uber to $70 per share from $57 and says it's well-positioned.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Apple, Stephens, KeyBanc, Wells, Armour, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Valvoline, underperform SVB, Wayfair, Snowflake, it's, Uber, Roth, Bernstein, Jefferies Organizations: Deutsche Bank, Nike, Sovos Brands, UAA, Outsized NA, JPMorgan, Global Products, Securities, Bed, Barclays, Amazon, Citi, General Motors Locations: China, Italian, downgrades, EBITDA

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Nvidia, Chevron, Amazon, Avis, SeaWorld & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Needham initiates Sovos Brands as buy Citi said Sovos' Brands Rao's Tomato Sauce will be a $1 billion brand in the next three-to-four years. " Citi reiterates Anheuser-Busch InBev as buy Citi said investors should buy the dip in the beer giant. Deutsche Bank upgrades Avis to buy from hold Deutsche said the rental car company that it has upside potential. "In a tougher recession and sharp travel fall-off where revenue growth is cut in half, we estimate mid to high single digit EPS risk, implying an excellent risk/reward given valuation. Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said investors should "stay long" in shares of Nvidia.

Persons: Needham, Sovos, Michael Angelo's, Bernstein, Wedbush, it's, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Bud, Baird, Mobileye, XYL, Wells, Key, AMBA, Mizuho, Piper Sandler, Piper Organizations: Brands, Citi, Amazon, Worldwide, Conference, SeaWorld, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Deutsche Bank, Avis, Deutsche, UBS, American Express, American, Palo Alto Networks, JPMorgan, Chevron, Service, Nvidia, TAM, Liberty, Microsoft Locations: US, Noosa, Cupertino, European, Wells Fargo, CrowdStrike, Zscaler, Palo, America, F2023E

Sovos Brands , which owns the pasta sauce brand Rao's, is "full of pasta-bility while making sauce and cents," according to Needham. "Growth in pasta sauce coupled with brand extension into adjacent categories provides ample opportunity for Rao's brand growth," analyst Matt McGinley wrote in a Wednesday note. McGinley initiated a buy rating on Sovos shares. "With operating leverage driving margin expansion, EBITDA and cash flow will grow faster than the top line, in our view. Sovos shares have jumped about 29% year to date.

Persons: Matt McGinley, McGinley, Needham, Sovos, " McGinley, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Brands Locations: Needham, Tuesday's

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