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☆ Ketchup inflation hits your weekend barbecue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Planning on squirting some ketchup on your hot dog at a barbecue this weekend? Though shoppers have been starting to see some relief in the grocery aisle, food inflation has been consistently outpacing overall inflation. Ketchup prices are piling up. Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty ImagesIn the year through April, grocery prices jumped 7.1%, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. NIQ’s own data shows that in the week through April 30, ketchup prices were up about 14% year-over-year.

☆ ‘Greedflation’ loosens its grip on food retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Big food manufacturers like Kraft Heinz (KHC.O) and Unilever (ULVR.L) are ratcheting down the price rises they have been inflicting onto supermarket chains. If food retailers can convince cash-strapped customers to skimp less and pay more, their profit margins will finally start growing. Last week, the country’s food retailers opened negotiations on prices with manufacturers like Coca-Cola (KO.N) and Unilever as food inflation surged to over 15% in March. Food manufacturers can certainly do more. Meanwhile, food inflation remained high at 19.1% in April versus 19.2% in March.

☆ These are the top 10 holdings of Berkshire Hathaway's $325 billion stock portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

These are the top 10 stocks held in Berkshire Hathaway's $325 billion stock portfolio as of March 31. With various portfolio changes in the first quarter of the year, Berkshire Hathaway's top 10 holdings of US stocks has shifted, though Apple still represents a near 50% of the portfolio. In fact, the top 10 positions in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio make up a massive 90.2% of its entire portfolio. These are the top 10 stocks held in Berkshire Hathaway's $325 billion US stock portfolio as of March 31. American ExpressCredit cards fill a display at American Express headquarters John Moore/Getty ImagesTicker: AXPPosition: $25.0 billionPercent of portfolio: 7.7%2.

☆ Oscar Mayer says goodbye to the historic Weinermobile. Next up: the Frankmobile.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This week Oscar Mayer renamed its Weinermobile. "This month, we are introducing a tasty new recipe with a more balanced flavor profile and iconic beefy taste that is more flavorful than ever," an Oscar Mayer spokesperson told Insider. The original model was 13 feet long and was designed by the General Body Company of Chicago, Oscar Mayer says. A view of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile 75th anniversary at West 75th street in Manhattan. Photo by Rob Kim/Getty ImagesIn its current state, the Oscar Mayer initiative offers jobs to new college graduates to drive around the country and promote the brand.

☆ Kraft Heinz wants you to mix flavors in your ketchup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Now, Kraft Heinz wants to do the same for dipping sauces. Kraft Heinz (KHC) plans to start running pilot programs with the product in restaurants from late 2023 into early next year. The Kraft Heinz CompanyThe base options could change over time, a relief for those already worried about the lack of mayo. Through 2027, Kraft Heinz has a goal of an additional $2 billion in North American retail revenue from innovation. “We’re really excited to put consumers in control of that and what we can learn from it.”Lately, Kraft Heinz is all about letting customers mix and match.

☆ Kraft Heinz 'Remix' customizable sauce dispenser looks just like a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, but for sauce
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Heinz is channeling its inner Coca-Cola with a new custom sauce dispenser, the Heinz Remix. "As a company, we're transforming through innovation by making bigger, more intentional bets to fuel our growth and create new experiences for consumers," Alan Kleinerman, Kraft Heinz vice president of disruption, said in a statement. "Heinz Remix is a great example of this consumer-first approach to innovation." The machine is reminiscent of the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine introduced in 2009, dispensing dozens of soda pop products that can be combined and customized to create unique beverages. Heinz announced a Coca-Cola Freestyle-like custom sauce dispenser.

☆ Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile is getting a new name
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile is driving off into the sunset. Oscar Mayer says the new Frankmobile name “pays homage” to the new recipe for its hot dogs rolling out this summer. The brand’s new recipe for hot dogs represents the first change to Oscar Mayer’s franks in six years. Oscar Mayer, owned by Kraft Heinz (KHC), has often used cheeky marketing tactics to attract attention to its packaged products. Kraft wrote down the value of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands in 2019 by $15 billion because consumers have shifted their preferences away from processed foods.

☆ Kraft Heinz unveils customizable sauce dispenser with more than 200 condiment combos for restaurants
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Now, Kraft Heinz wants to offer customers more than three times that number of condiment options through a new customizable sauce dispenser, created for food-service clients. The machine, called the Heinz Remix, is the latest example of Kraft Heinz leaning into its away-from-home segment to grow sales. In the first quarter, Kraft Heinz's North American food service division reported sales growth of more than 25%. In its latest quarter, Kraft Heinz reported North American sales grew by 6.2% as higher prices offset shrinking demand from inflation-weary shoppers. Shares of Kraft Heinz have fallen 3% this year, giving it a market value of $48.5 billion.

[1/3] Packaged food for sale is seen on shelves at a Dollar Tree in Islandia, New York, U.S., May 12, 2023. Razor manufacturer Edgewell Personal Care Co (EPC.N) and Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) have overhauled or built new teams dedicated to working with the biggest U.S. dollar stores like Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR.O) and Dollar General Corp (DG.N) in the last year. Makers of food and household staples are pushing deeper into dollar stores because the low-cost retailers are opening thousands of locations each year. Griffin added that dollar stores are also introducing more "premium" private label brands, like Dollar General's Nature's Menu for pets. Kraft-Heinz also created a new team of five people late last year to identify and develop products for dollar stores, a spokesman said.

☆ Cash App founder Bob Lee dated his murder suspect's ex-girlfriend before he started seeing his sister, friends said. The suspect's lawyer disputes claims of an affair.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nima Momeni is facing a murder charge in connection to the death of Cash App founder Bob Lee. At a later point, Lee began casually sleeping with Momeni's sister, Khazar, per WSJ. Prosecutors previously alleged in court documents that Momeni confronted Lee that night about his sister, Khazar, before the stabbing. Afterward, friends familiar with the matter said that Lee started sleeping with Khazar Momeni, who is married to Dino Elyassnia, a well-known San Francisco-based plastic surgeon. She told WSJ that, if anything, Lee may have been microdosing ketamine to treat depression.

☆ Warren Buffett's Apple bet is worth $158 billion or 22% of Berkshire Hathaway's total market value. The investor gave 5 reasons why he's not stressing about the wager's size.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Warren Buffett defended the size of Berkshire Hathaway's $158 billion stake in Apple on Saturday. Buffett also underscored another benefit to holding Apple stock: share repurchases. The Berkshire chief noted an additional part of Apple's value is its appeal to customers. He gave a theoretical example of someone having to choose between parting with a second car worth $35,000, or their $1,500 iPhone. "If they had to give up a second car or give up their iPhone, they give up their second car," he said.

☆ Walmart keeps grocery prices steady amid inflation, antitrust claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

During the period, while U.S. inflation averaged 7.5% Walmart kept prices steady, the Dataweave analysis shows. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThis was during a time when world food prices hit record highs and U.S. food-at-home prices rose in the double digits. Food-at-home prices, or prices of food bought at grocery stores and supermarkets, are expected to rise a further 6.6% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The data set, which included batteries in the basket of goods, showed that Walmart sold Energizer batteries at a significant discount to rivals. Similarly, at least two different types of Energizer coin batteries sold at Walmart were found to be between 30% and 35% cheaper than the next lowest priced rival.

☆ Factbox: Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway at a glance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/2] Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett walks through the exhibit hall as shareholders gather to hear from the billionaire investor at Berkshire Hathaway Inc's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2019. REUTERS/Scott Morgan/File PhotoMay 4 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people are descending on Omaha, Nebraska to attend the annual shareholder weekend for billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N). Susan Buffett and Howard Buffett are Berkshire directors. His Berkshire stock will go to philanthropy after he dies. (Interview with CNBC, April 12, 2023)Abel on Berkshire managers' relationship with him: "It's not the same as working for Warren.

☆ Kraft Heinz Reports First-Quarter Sales Lifted by Higher Prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kraft Heinz, maker of Kool-Aid and Jell-O, raised prices last year in a response to more expensive commodities and supply-chain challenges. Photo: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg NewsKraft Heinz ’s higher prices once again lifted its revenue but ate into sales volumes during the most recently completed quarter as sticker shock sets in for grocery shoppers. The Pittsburgh-based maker of Kool-Aid and Jell-O said revenue climbed 7.3% to $6.49 billion in the first three months of the year, driven by higher costs for consumers that offset a decline in volumes and unfavorable foreign currency fluctuations. Analysts had been expecting $6.39 billion, according to FactSet.

☆ Kraft Heinz lifts profit outlook on price hikes, easing costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Aatrayee Chatterjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -Kraft Heinz Co raised its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday on the back of higher prices and sustained demand for its packaged food items as raw material costs, which have plagued the industry, also ease. FILE PHOTO: A Heinz Ketchup bottle sits between a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese and a bottle of Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce on a grocery store shelf in New York March 25, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoShares of the Philadelphia Cream Cheese maker were up 3.9% in early trading after it also reported better-than-expected quarterly results. The strong outlook echoes comments from peers PepsiCo Inc and Mondelez, who have also lifted annual forecasts supported by price increases. Excluding one-off items, Kraft Heinz earned 68 cents per share, topping analysts’ estimate of 60 cents per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

☆ Morning Bid: Bank reverb frames Fed decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

While there was some minor repricing of Fed probabilities in the futures market, the latest bout of bank stock nerves is unlikely to change the Fed's course on its own. A White House economist on Tuesday said Fed rate hikes were having a negative impact on the banking sector. Signs of some loosening of a very tight labor market may also encourage the Fed that its rate hiking job is done after this week. Private sector job readings for April are due later today along with service sector surveys for the month. With the Fed in view alongside the debt ceiling crunch and bank stock retreat, longer-term Treasury bonds rallied.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: CVS Health, Eli Lilly, Clorox, Yum and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

CVS cut its 2023 adjusted earnings guidance to a range of $8.50 to $8.70 per share from its previous projection of $8.70 to $8.90 per share. On Tuesday, the consumer products firm posted fiscal third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.51 topped the $1.22 per share expected by analysts polled by Refinitiv. Revenue also beat, coming in at $1.91 billion versus the $1.82 billion expected by Wall Street. AMD also said it expects about $5.3 billion in sales in the current quarter, less than the $5.48 billion expected by Wall Street. Its adjusted earnings per share for the first quarter came in at $1.06, compared to the $1.13 expected, per Refinitiv.

☆ Aldi plans to open 120 new stores this year as the no-frills German grocer doubles down its US expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Aldi is opening 120 new stores this year, including its first locations in two Louisiana cities. The supermarket chain will open 120 new stores this year, the company said. In January, Aldi opened a new distribution center in Alabama "to help support new stores in the area," it said. Aldi has recently opened or plans to open several new stores along the Gulf Coast in states including Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana, Supermarket News reported. Aldi did not immediately respond to a request from Insider for more details on where it plans to open the new stores.

"Because of higher prices, people are buying smaller amounts of groceries overall and may have become more careful not to waste food." "Despite all of that, (there are) 8% to 12% missing items on shelves," he said. "This has created a major, major issue around out-of-stock" in most of the 16 Middle Eastern countries where the company operates, he said. Laurent Thoumine, Accenture's Europe lead for retail, said supermarkets in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have had the worst stock issues. Products that are scarce in some stores include ketchup, pasta, chocolate, tea, potato chips, toothpaste and pet food, according to Nielsen IQ's Data Impact.

☆ Kraft wants to remake the TV dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Wednesday, Kraft Heinz officially introduced Homebake 425°/:30, the company’s new line of frozen meals. Kraft HeinzFor Kraft, the new brand is part of an effort to increase the company’s net sales by $2 billion through 2027. As part of its earlier turnaround efforts, Kraft Heinz has been trying to reinvigorate decades-old brands like Velveeta and Oscar Mayer. In that time, frozen food prices jumped 16.3%, well above recent annual trends for grocery prices as a whole. In 2020, Kraft Heinz announced that it was divesting its natural cheese business.

☆ Key Fed meeting and jobs data are ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In the spotlight are the Federal Reserve’s May meeting and the April jobs report. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will likely face questions about credit conditions, in addition to the central bank’s inflation strategy. What’s at stake with the April jobs report: Economists expect the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April jobs print to show slower employment growth last month and a rising unemployment rate. Wednesday: Federal Reserve interest rate decision, Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference and April ADP private payroll report. Friday: April jobs report and March consumer credit.

☆ A solid start to earnings season will be put to the test in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

The biggest week of this earnings season showed us that things aren't as bad as many feared. The week ahead of earnings, including several more Club names, should tell us more. The results are always important, but it's the guidance and management commentary we will really hone in on to better understand the path ahead. In Amazon's case, a solid first quarter for its AWS cloud business was overshadowed by management seeing a material slowdown in April. ET: Nonfarm Payrolls Looking back It was the biggest week of this earnings season for the Club as several of our mega-cap holdings and industry bellwethers reported results.

☆ Warren Buffett eats McDonald's for breakfast, drinks 5 Cokes a day, and devours cookies and ice cream. Here are the investor's 11 best quotes about his iconic diet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The famed investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO counts burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream among his favorite foods. He munches on McDonald's for breakfast, guzzles five cans of Coke every day, and demolishes cookies and chocolates. If a three-year-old doesn't eat it, I don't eat it." If I'd been eating broccoli and Brussels sprouts all my life, I don't think I'd live as long. "I don't eat any Chinese food.

☆ Heinz offered the fisherman who survived 24 days at sea a new boat with GPS, but he didn't get enough money to buy one with a navigation system
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Heinz appealed to the internet to find a fisherman who survived 24 days at sea on ketchup. Heinz said the "ketchup boat guy" preferred cash so he could get a new boat more quickly. The company offered to give fisherman Elvis Francois a new boat complete with a navigation system after learning he'd survived 24 days lost at sea on just ketchup and seasonings. Francois told Insider he could only afford to buy a small used boat and engines as the money Heinz gave him "wasn't enough" for a sailboat. He spent EC$18,000 on a small boat and EC$20,000 on two motors.

☆ Markets next week have to contend with how aggressive the Fed drumbeat sounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"Is Chairman Powell going to say, 'It is likely that we pause now and assess what the economy is going to do?' "The tone on that balance is going to be very critical to how the market is going to move next week." "What is [Powell] going to do? June Fed meeting The betting on Wall Street right now is that, after next week, the Fed will standpat at its next meeting six weeks later, on June 13-14. Beyond Apple, some 161 other companies in the S & P 500 index are scheduled to report latest-quarter results next week.

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