DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Cramer sees new weight loss drugs as a problem for soft drink and snack giant PepsiCo
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

PepsiCo : The soft drinks and snacks giant reported a mixed quarterly Thursday with a sales miss and an earnings beat. Jim Cramer said Thursday that PepsiCo is in a tough position due to consumers using GLP-1 weight loss drugs to curb appetite. Delta Air Lines : The carrier reported record revenue during its second quarter but a slump in profits, which dragged the stock down more than 5%. Alongside a solid print, the company said it expects record revenue growth for the third quarter on booming summer travel demand. This was a "very surprising" development from the company, Cramer said, given the main use case for aluminum is aerospace, an industry that has been experiencing slower manufacturing of planes as of late.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Cramer, Slim Jim, BoomChickaPop Organizations: CNBC, Club, PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, Darden, Jefferies, Olive Garden, Alcoa

☆ Nestlé and other companies are trying to stake their claims as weight loss drug experts. They’re not
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But health professionals are warning consumers not to take medical advice from the same companies trying to sell them food, supplements and other consumables. “People who are on (GLP-1 drugs) eat less calories. Daily Harvest, a meal kit service, has a GLP-1 food collection. In May it announced a new line of frozen meals called Vital Pursuit, pitching the brand to users of weight loss drugs. Some taking GLP-1 drugs have reported losing hair and muscle.

Persons: Ozempic, JP Morgan, —, ”, Donny Kranson, GLP, Nestlé’s, Jorge Moreno, Jody Dushay, Tom Little, “ I’m, “, 1nutrition.com, Atkins, Robert Atkins, Nestlé, Mark Schneider, Marie Callender’s, Slim Jim, Orville Redenbacher’s, Tom McGough, William Dietz Organizations: New, New York CNN, “, Vontobel Asset Management, GNC, Nestlé, Visitors, Yale School of Medicine, Physicians, Harvard Medical School, Danone, Bloomberg, STOP, George Washington University Locations: New York, United States, Switzerland, Novo Nordisk's, Hillerod, Denmark, what’s, Conagra, GLP

☆ The South’s hidden gems? Its diverse gas stations, according to this photographer
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Kate MedleyThe Obama Gas Station in Columbia, South Carolina, got its name in 2008 following the general election because of the community's support for President Obama's campaign. She visited around 150 gas stations and quick stops in total, finding the unique curation of each space compelling. A gas station in the Mississippi Delta offering an all-you-can-eat-buffet, which Medley visited in 2013. Kate Medley“The closest gas is 30 miles away,” Amanda Simonson, the general manager, told Medley when she walked in, according to Medley’s book. Medley photographed a former gas station in the Arkansas Delta, which had become a modest Baptist church.

Persons: Kate Medley, crawfish, Quik Shoppe, Medley, Marta Miranda, Kate Medley Mike Moatts, Dhinal Patel, Obama's, Kate Medley “, ”, Gurjeet Singh, Singh, Kate Medley Saint Louis Saveurs, Mouhamadou, Saint Louis Saveurs, “, ” Amanda Simonson, Jeff Poynor, she’s, Slim Jims, I’m Organizations: CNN, Institute, Market Express, Obama Gas Station, Mississippi Museum of Art, Scouting, Kwik Chek, Shell, Mississippi Delta, Arkansas Delta, Red Bulls Locations: Oxford , Mississippi, American, Charlotte , Carolina, Elberta , Alabama, Columbia , South Carolina, Jackson, Memphis , Tennessee, Hammond , Louisiana, Chandigarh, India, Indian, Greensboro , North Carolina, Bator, Senegal, Greensboro, Mouhamadou, Elaine , Arkansas, Mississippi, Banner , Mississippi, Arkansas

☆ Scammers are using delivery apps like Instacart to swindle customers and delivery workers out of money
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewSome Instacart shoppers are the targets of a scam centered on gift cards. "Within 30 seconds, I got a message about buying the Vanilla Visa gift card," she said. Instacart forbids shoppers from adding gift cards to orders, a screenshot of the company policy seen by BI indicates. "Customers are not able to order gift cards through the Instacart platform or place a special request for a gift card via chat," an Instacart spokesperson told BI. AdvertisementInstacart also tells shoppers not to purchase gift cards for customers, the spokesperson added.

Persons: —, they've, Instacart, Jim, itsjwest, Heidi Bleau, Bleau Organizations: Service, Business, Walgreens, BI Locations: Massachusetts, cologne

☆ Jim Cramer says Nelson Peltz's defeat is worrisome for Disney's stock and he wants to sell more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Disney wins: Disney was successful at fending off Trian Partners in Nelson Peltz's quest for two board seats at the company. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Nelson, Jim, Steve Cohen, We're, Michael Cembalest, Levi Strauss, Slim Jim, Conagra, Lamb Weston, There's, Jim Cramer's, Mickey Mouse, Joe Raedle Organizations: CNBC, Treasury, Institute for Supply, PMI, Disney, Trian Partners, Apple, JPMorgan, Procter, Gamble, Jim Cramer's Charitable, Walt Disney World, Getty Locations: Washington, Orlando , Florida

☆ Jim Cramer's week ahead: Nonfarm payroll data and Disney's proxy fight comes to a head
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Thursday guided investors through next week's Wall Street action, saying to pay attention to new nonfarm payroll data and Walt Disney's annual shareholder meeting, where its long and arduous proxy fight will come to a head. "Keep an eye on the employment report, because everything else that's coming next week pales in comparison — even the no-holds-barred Disney proxy fight." On Monday, Cramer expects decent earnings from PVH , an apparel maker known for brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Walt Disney 's annual shareholder meeting will take place on Wednesday, bringing an end to the company's monthslong bitter proxy fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor will release the nonfarm payroll report, and Cramer said he's expecting strong figures.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, we'll, Cramer, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, he's, Walt Disney, Nelson Peltz, Levi Strauss, Conagra, Slim Jims, Orville Redenbacher's, Boyardee, haven't Organizations: Walt, Disney, Enterprise Products Partners, U.S . Department of Labor Locations: Paychex

One of their friends in Missouri had mailed them meat sticks made by Kevin Western, a Greentop local who made the snacks for fun and sold them around town. In December 2012, Maldonado and Ali started selling Chomps' first product — the original beef jerky stick — on its website. Trader Joe's placed an initial order for a million meat sticks to stock in over 400 stores. Chomps started selling meat sticks in Trader Joe's, its first national retailer, in July 2016. Building a jerky empireOnce Chomps started selling its sticks in Trader Joe's, other stores quickly followed, including Whole Foods, Target and Walmart.

Persons: Pete Maldonado, Maldonado, Rashid Ali, Slim Jims, Maldonado craved, Ali, Chomps, Here's, — Maldonado, Kevin Western, Gene Woo Kim Maldonado, you'll, —, Joe's, Rashid, Clint Boland Organizations: Facebook, taco, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, CNBC Locations: Chicago, Long, Greentop , Missouri, Missouri, Greentop, Naples , Florida, U.S, Joe's, Naples

WINSLOW, Maine (AP) — Peyton Brewer-Ross was the life of the party, with wraparound sunglasses and an outlandish Randy “Macho Man” Savage Slim Jim jacket. Brewer-Ross, one of the 18 people killed in the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history, was remembered during a weekend art exhibit dubbed, “There Goes My Hero: Chapter One: Peyton Brewer-Ross.” The 40-year-old was playing cornhole with friends when he was gunned down on Oct. 25 in Lewiston. Some people will remember him from cornhole, some will remember him as a pipe fitter, some will remember him for his Slim Jim jacket. Sloat was a student of art professor Peter Precourt at the University of Maine at Augusta, who owns the gallery, Art:Works on Main. Sloat inspired Brewer-Ross to take an art class at Southern Maine Community College.

Persons: — Peyton Brewer, Ross, Randy “, Savage Slim Jim, Brewer, Peyton Brewer, ”, Rachael Sloat, Elle, Peyton, Slim Jim, Sloat, Peter Precourt, “ Macho, Ross ’, Precourt, “ I’m Organizations: University of Maine, Southern Maine Community College, Pabst Locations: WINSLOW, Maine, Lewiston, cornhole, Augusta, Brewer

☆ Jury awards $7.1 million to a burn victim who alleged that a can of cooking spray 'exploded into a fireball'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tammy Reese was badly burned when a can of commercial-brand cooking spray ignited, a lawsuit alleged. A jury has ordered Conagra Brands to pay $7.1 million in compensatory and punitive damages. "We continue to stand by our cooking spray products, which are safe and effective when used correctly, as instructed. Consumers can check if their cooking spray cans are vented by looking at whether the bottom of the can has four small U-shaped slits, Smith said. "In a commercial kitchen, that's a sort of normal place where people leave their cooking spray cans when they're actually using them.

Persons: Tammy Reese, Conagra, —, Pam, Reese, Craig Smith, Marie Callender's, Chef Boyardee, Slim Jim, Smith, Peter Flowers Organizations: Brands, Service, Conagra, Swiss Miss Locations: Illinois, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Shippensburg , Pennsylvania, Cook, Swiss

Chicago-based Conagra Brands must pay out $3.1 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages to Reese, according to the Cook County Circuit Court verdict. Consumers can check if their cooking spray cans are vented by looking at whether the bottom of the can has four small U-shaped slits, Smith said. The cooking spray that exploded near Reese had been stored on a shelf about 18 inches (46 centimeters) above the stove, according to Flowers. “In a commercial kitchen, that’s a sort of normal place where people leave their cooking spray cans when they’re actually using them. The redesign was not related to the lawsuits and was part of an effort to standardize the company’s cans, Conagra said.

Persons: —, Tammy Reese, Pam, Reese, “, Craig Smith, Marie Callender’s, Chef Boyardee, Slim Jim, Smith, ” Peter Flowers, Conagra, ___ Savage Organizations: CHICAGO, Brands, Conagra, Swiss Miss, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Illinois, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Shippensburg , Pennsylvania, Cook, Swiss

☆ Conagra Brands beats quarterly profit estimate on price hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Slim Jim products, owned by Conagra Brands, are seen for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 15, 2021. Shares of the Chicago-based packaged food maker fell 1.4% to $26.15 premarket on Thursday as Conagra missed quarterly sales estimates and also maintained tepid targets for annual sales and profit. Peer General Mills (GIS.N) in September also narrowly topped profit estimates on higher prices, but the Cheerios cereal maker's volumes took a hit as consumers turned cautious. Campbell Soup (CPB.N) forecast an upbeat annual profit as the company bets on easing cost pressures. Conagra reported first-quarter net sales of $2.90 billion, while analysts on average expected $2.95 billion, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Slim Jim, Andrew Kelly, Slim, Conagra, Mills, Campbell, Granth, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Conagra Brands, REUTERS, Conagra, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Chicago, Bengaluru

☆ Conagra Brands swings to quarterly profit on higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Slim Jim products, owned by Conagra Brands, are seen for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 15, 2021. Conagra, which grappled for months with higher costs tied to labor and raw materials, raised its product prices multiple times over the last several quarters, and is now seeing some of the expenses ease from their peaks. The company reported net sales of $2.90 billion in the first quarter, while analysts on average expected $2.95 billion, according to LSEG data. Conagra expects its annual organic net sales growth to be 1% and adjusted EPS to come in between $2.70 and $2.75. Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Slim Jim, Andrew Kelly, Jim, Conagra, Granth, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Conagra Brands, REUTERS, Conagra, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Chicago, Bengaluru

☆ Conagra Brands forecasts dour sales as higher prices hit demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 13 (Reuters) - Conagra Brands Inc (CAG.N) on Thursday forecast annual sales and profit below Wall Street estimates, in a sign that higher prices were starting to eat into demand for the Slim Jim beef jerky maker's frozen foods and other packaged meals. The company, like other global packaged food makers, has been steadily raising product prices over the past few years to counter spiraling costs, and had faced little resistance from consumers until recently. Persistent inflation has eroded budgets at many American households, forcing consumers to trade down from branded packaged food products to cheaper private-label alternatives, which has impacted sales at Conagra. The company expects 2024 organic net sales growth to be 1% higher than 2023, while analysts on average were expecting an increase of 2.77%, according to Refinitiv estimates. Full-year adjusted EPS is expected between $2.70 and $2.75, compared with analysts' average estimate of $2.85 per share.

Persons: Slim, Mehr Bedi, Aatrayee Chatterjee, Shinjini Organizations: Conagra Brands Inc, Wall, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Threads: An Early Vibe Check
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I come to you with a breaking news vibes report from Threads, the new Twitter clone that Mark Zuckerberg unveiled on Wednesday. It has already signed up 30 million users, according to Zuckerberg, and appears to be the most rapidly downloaded app ever. “Can’t get enough of your threads,” the actress Jennifer Lopez said in a Threads post. For an app that has caused a lot of drama — Twitter is already threatening legal action — the user experience feels basic, even rote. If there’s a dominant topic of conversation, it’s how weird it is to be on Threads.

Persons: Madison, I’ve, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, you’ve, Olivia Rodrigo, Al Roker, Slim Jim, Wendy’s, MrBeast, “ Can’t, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, ”, Ellen DeGeneres Organizations: Twitter, Elon

☆ Consumers are wising up to 'greedflation' as food companies keep prices high
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Most consumers think food brands are using inflation "as an excuse to hike prices," a survey says. PepsiCo, Nestlé, Conagra, and other food companies say they are trying to cover their costs. While costs of raw materials, labor, and shipping have continued to be high, many food companies have reported leaps in profit at the same time. Many have noticed that food companies' profits have been increasing, too, a sign to them that some of the higher prices are about something other than covering production costs. Recent earnings from food companies suggest that many have raised prices higher than inflation.

☆ CFOs Focus on Building Resilient Supply Chains, Even as Pandemic Disruptions Fade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

An uncertain economic environment means third parties in Conagra’s supply chain sometimes require extra assistance. Photo: Justen Williams for The Wall Street JournalAs if finance chiefs didn’t have enough on their plates before the pandemic, surging shipping costs, freight logjams and factory disruptions in China over the past few years have laid bare their need to adapt and step up their involvement in boosting supply-chain resilience. “Supply chain is obviously always an important part for us,” said Conagra Brands Inc. Chief Financial Officer Dave Marberger . At roughly $9 billion, it is the single biggest line item when looking at the cost of goods sold for the Chicago-based food manufacturer, which makes Hunt’s ketchup, Healthy Choice frozen meals and Slim Jim meat sticks. “But obviously with Covid and the significant impact it’s had on supply chain, it’s been even more of a priority for me.”

☆ Conagra Earnings, Sales Climb as Food Prices Rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Dia Gill | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Conagra , which makes Hunt’s tomato products, attributed its most recent quarterly results to inflation-driven price increases. Conagra Brands Inc. raised its guidance for the second consecutive quarter as the food manufacturer posted a nearly 60% profit increase. For the quarter ended Feb. 26, the Chicago-based maker of Slim Jim meat sticks, Reddi-wip and Marie Callender frozen meals reported a net income of $341.7 million, up from $218.4 million in the same quarter a year prior. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected net income of $303 million.

☆ Conagra lifts profit forecast as price hikes offset demand pressures
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

These price increases have boosted profits at Conagra, which is now also benefiting from easing inflation in commodity prices including those of meat and other proteins. However, higher grocery and food prices have forced some consumers to trade down from branded packaged food products to cheaper, private-label alternatives, denting sales volumes at Conagra. That prompted the company to trim the top end of its annual organic net sales forecast to a 7% to 7.5% rise, compared with a 7% to 8% growth estimated earlier. Credit Suisse analysts have also warned that Conagra sales could decelerate faster compared to its peers in full-year 2024, owing to the company's exposure to price-sensitive, lower-income consumers. Conagra said it expected fiscal 2023 adjusted per-share profit between $2.70 and $2.75, compared with its prior forecast of $2.60 to $2.70.

After pushing prices to new heights last year, some companies are starting to pull back. It could be another sign that inflation is starting to turn a corner. Conagra Brands Inc., which makes Hunt’s ketchup and Slim Jim meat sticks, raised prices 17% in its latest quarter, on top of two previous quarters, when it increased prices more than 10%.

☆ Companies’ Capital Spending Forecast to Slow in 2023 Amid Recession Fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

Companies are expected to tap the brakes on capital investments this year as they assess the risk of a downturn and contend with higher financing costs. Capital spending in 2021 rose by 9% compared with 2020, the first year of the pandemic, EY said. After two years of spending heavily, some companies want to take a pause to digest the investments they’ve made, advisers said. FedEx Corp. last month lowered its capital spending forecast for the current fiscal year by $400 million, to $5.9 billion. The remainder said they don’t finance their capital spending plans through borrowing, or their borrowing isn’t sensitive to changes in interest rates.

☆ Conagra CFO Doesn’t See Need for Big Price Increases in Near Term
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Photo: Conagra Brands“We won’t have any more significant price increases unless our cost, our inflation estimate, starts to go back up,” Mr. Marberger said. The reading comes amid moderating price increases after a peak of 9.1% in June. I never, ever remember that kind of a price increase,” Mr. Marberger said. “They are now turning the corner and from here are going to need less rapid price increases, unless some other price shocks occur.”Conagra’s sales volumes fell 8.4% for the quarter ended Nov. 27 as customers responded to the price increases, the company said. “And that plays well for us.”Overall, Conagra’s customers—which include retailers Walmart Inc. and Kroger Co. —have accepted the price increases, Mr. Marberger said.

Known for its Birds Eye, Chef Boyardee and Slim Jim brands, Conagra is increasing some of its prices in its current fiscal 2023 third quarter. "We don't currently have any plans to take additional pricing beyond that," Connolly said, noting the plans could change if inflation persists. The price of groceries eaten at home rose an estimated 11%-12% in 2022, versus a 7%-8% increase in restaurant menu prices, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "If you're going to spend your day at home instead of in the office, odds are the breakfast and the lunch that you're going to have is going to be a product like a Healthy Choice Power Bowl," Connolly said. "We've now moved it to just about everything we sell in our frozen meals business," he said.

☆ Conagra Raises Outlook as Higher Prices Continue to Lift Sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Conagra, which makes Slim Jim meat snacks, said Thursday it was still working against inflated input costs. Conagra Brands Inc. expects higher sales and earnings for fiscal 2023 after the food company continued to raise prices to stave off inflation and supply-chain pressures. The Chicago-based maker of Healthy Choice frozen meals and Slim Jim meat sticks said revenue rose 8.3% to $3.31 billion in the quarter ended Nov. 27 thanks to price increases and a shift in the mix of products it sold.

☆ Dogecoin surges 35% as Elon Musk's Twitter deal approaches close
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla CEO Elon Musk photographed in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2022. Suzanne Cordeiro | AFP | Getty ImagesDogecoin , the cryptocurrency branded after a viral dog meme from 2013, is up 35% since Monday as Elon Musk's deal to buy Twitter approaches a close. Host Elon Musk during the monologue on Saturday, May 8, 2021. Will Heath | NBCUniversalThe Elon Musk effectIt isn't totally clear when or why dogecoin captured the heart of Elon Musk. Dogecoin isn't really a reliable store of wealth either, given that this typically requires a certain degree of long-term faith in the coin and the blockchain upon which it's been built.

☆ Loans Are Cheaper Than Bonds for Some Highly Rated Companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Some highly rated companies are turning to term loans instead of bonds for their financing needs, taking advantage of cheaper pricing as banks have been slower to adjust to rising interest rates than the credit markets. Highly rated companies raised $998.8 billion in bonds in the U.S. this year through Monday, compared with $177.9 billion in term loans, according to Refinitiv, a data provider. For all of last year, fundraising through bonds amounted to $1.46 trillion versus $236.7 billion for term loans for investment-grade-rated companies. Term loans often have a shorter duration than bonds, with many of them ranging from three to five years. Term loans tend to be secured,” Mr. Holtz said, pointing to the mixture of bonds and term loans that make up the company’s capital structure.

Search resuls for: "Slim Jim"

25 mentions found