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☆ 3 things that will impact stocks going into the first trading week of the fourth quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Wall Street closed out the final week of the third quarter lower as Friday's initial rally on tame inflation data ended largely in losses. The Dow , S & P 500 and the Nasdaq all fell sharply for the historically tough month of September and for the quarter. We hope it convinces the Fed to hold off on any additional hikes as we await the impact of prior rate moves. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

Persons: Dow, We'd, Helen of Troy, HELE, Lamb Weston, Levi Strauss, LEVI, Payrolls, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Nick M Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow, Federal Reserve, Fed, Constellation Brands, Management, UAW, Big, Detroit automakers, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, PMI, McCormick, Maine, Conagra Brands, CNBC Locations: U.S, Cal

☆ The market has shaken off government shutdowns in the past. Here's what Wall Street expects
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A government shutdown looming on the horizon could dampen sentiment to start October even as Wall Street wraps up what's been a challenging month and quarter. Many market participants expect that the financial markets and economy will broadly shake off concerns from a shutdown as they have in the past. "The market's probably going to set it aside until or unless it starts to have a larger impact on behaviors." Economic impact Historically, government shutdowns have been relatively short-lived, though they have been longer and more disruptive recently. Meanwhile, Jay Woods, chief global strategist at Freedom Capital Markets, expects the government shutdown is "all bark and no bite" when it comes to market reaction.

Persons: Wells Fargo, Rob Haworth, Wells, Michael Pugliese, Bank's Haworth, Aditya Bhave, Jay Woods, Woods, Jeff Hirsch, Hirsch, Lamb Weston Organizations: RBC Capital Markets, Federal Reserve, U.S . Bank, Nasdaq, BEA, Bank of America U.S, Labor, Freedom Capital, Atlanta Fed's, PMI, Manufacturing, McCormick, ADP, Services PMI, Constellation Brands, Conagra, Consumer Credit Locations: Wells Fargo

☆ The risks to alcohol and food stocks from Ozempic-like weight loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The rise of new anti-obesity medications could result in less alcohol consumption, impacting Club name Constellation Brands (STZ). The risk already seems to be playing out in food stocks with exposure to snacks and junk food. We don't think Constellation Brands stock will suffer the same fate as shares of leading snack food companies like J.M. Key points The increasing popularity of new diabetes/weight loss drugs could curtail consumer appetite for junk food and alcohol. Constellation Brands (STZ), the Club name behind the Mexican beers Corona and Modelo, should be able to weather any such headwind.

Persons: Eli Lilly, it's, Mills, Lilly, Jim Cramer, Mounjaro, Morgan, Morgan Stanley, AOMs, Jefferies, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Gabby Jones Organizations: Constellation Brands, Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, Nordisk, Ozempic, Club, Novo Nordisk, Brands, Conagra Brands, Constellation, Bud Light, Jefferies, JPMorgan, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: U.S, Oro, Brooklyn Borough, New York

In recent weeks, U.S. consumers have seen high-profile food recalls for an unappetizing reason: They're contaminated with foreign objects that have no place on a dinner plate. “Extraneous materials” triggered nine recalls in 2022 of more than 477,000 pounds of food regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service — triple the number of recalls tied to food contaminated with toxic E. coli bacteria. Trader Joe’s wouldn’t elaborate on how material got into the foods that led to its recent recalls. In recent years, firms have become increasingly cautious and are recalling products more frequently than before, said Nathan Mirdamadi, a consultant with Commercial Food Sanitation, which advises the industry about food safety. Consumers who find foreign materials in food should notify manufacturers, experts said, but also realize that recalls are likely to stick around.

Persons: Tyson, Keith Belk, “ they’re, ” Belk, Nathan Mirdamadi, “ It’s, Mirdamadi, there’s, Dee, Ann Durbin Organizations: U.S . Food, U.S . Department of Agriculture’s, USDA, FDA, Regulators, ConAgra Brands Inc, Center for Meat Safety, Colorado State University ., Centers for Disease Control, Food Sanitation, Consumers, AP, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: U.S

☆ Kellogg raises annual profit outlook on higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kellogg's cold cereal products are pictured in a market in New York, U.S., June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoAug 3 (Reuters) - Kellogg Co (K.N) on Thursday forecast a smaller drop in annual profit than it had previously expected, as multiple price hikes for its breakfast snacks and cereals helped strengthen its margins. The Corn Flakes maker said it expected 2023 adjusted profit per share to decline between 1% and 2%, compared with the prior forecast for a decline of 1% to 3%. However, the company posted a 4.6% rise in net sales to $4.04 billion in the second quarter, missing analysts' expectations of $4.07 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Reporting by Mehr Bedi and Aatrayee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Milla NissiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Segar, Mehr Bedi, Aatrayee Chatterjee, Milla Nissi Organizations: REUTERS, Kellogg, PepsiCo, Conagra Brands Inc, Hershey, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, 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

☆ Morning Bid: Markets bet July 2023 is 'peak Fed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike DolanSurprise news of a 2%-plus print on U.S. headline inflation rate for June has world markets betting the peak of the Federal Reserve's interest rate campaign will now be this month. Either way, the latest inflation cheer means U.S. rate futures have wiped out bets of another Fed rate hike after a final quarter-point move to 5.25-5.50% at July 26's meeting. Although they see peak rates held there to year-end, futures now price as much as a full percentage point of cuts by this time in 2024. The VIX "fear index" (.VIX) fell back below 14 to its lowest of the month so far. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Mike Dolan, That's, Christopher Waller, Mary Daly, Joe Biden, Christine Lagarde, Toby Chopra Organizations: Fed, Nasdaq, PepsiCo, Delta Airlines, Bank of, Swiss, Bank of Canada, Federal Reserve, San Francisco Fed, Nordic, European Central Bank, . Treasury, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Beijing, Jackson, Fastenal, Helsinki, Brussels, Japan

☆ 3 things to pay attention to in the markets this coming week
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The consumer price index (CPI) report — which calculates the average change over time in prices that shoppers pay for goods and services — drops Wednesday. On Thursday, the producer price index (PPI) is out and will show the change in selling prices received by producers of goods and services. ET: Consumer Price Index After the bell: MillerKnoll (MLKN) Thursday, July 13 8:30 a.m. The consumer price index (CPI) report — which calculates the average change over time in prices that shoppers pay for goods and services — drops Wednesday. ET: Consumer Price IndexAfter the bell: MillerKnoll (MLKN) Thursday, July 13 8:30 a.m.

Persons: Stocks, Wells Fargo, We'll, Jim Cramer, Jeff Marks, Helen of Troy, HELE, Wells, ERIC, Jim Cramer's, Jim Organizations: Federal Reserve, PPI, Delta, DAL, PepsiCo, Conagra Brands, Delta Air Lines, JPMorgan, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, Ericsson, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: China, Wells, Wells Fargo, Red, Ras Behar, Egypt

[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.

☆ 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.”

☆ Restaurant prices are rising faster than grocery prices for the first time since inflation ran hot
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For the first time since inflation began accelerating in mid-2021, restaurant prices outpaced grocery prices on a 12-month basis, according to the Labor Department. For months, restaurant CEOs like Cheesecake Factory's Matthew Clark and Wendy's Todd Penegor have touted their meals as a relative bargain compared with eating at home, based on consumer price index data. March food prices rose 8.5% over the last 12 months, fueled by the jump in the cost of eating away from home, which was up 8.8% over that period. The National Restaurant Association's chief economist, Bruce Grindy, attributed the increase to the surge in food prices at schools as free lunch programs instituted during the Covid pandemic expired. The overall consumer price index has risen 5% over the last 12 months as inflation continues to cool.

☆ Software giant Oracle and five consumer names are among Wall Street’s most overbought stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A stock is considered overbought if its 14-day RSI goes above 70, meaning investors should consider easing their exposure. Meanwhile, a stock with a 14-day RSI under 30 is considered oversold, meaning it may want more to that name. CNBC Pro screened for S & P 500 stocks in overbought territory, based on their relative strength index. Oracle topped the list with a 14-day RSI of 95.6. FRC 1M mountain FRC this past month Other stocks approaching oversold territory are Charles Schwab , Digital Realty , Applied Materials , AMD , C.H.

☆ Orville Redenbacher Maker’s Margins Pop in Good Sign for Food Companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Aaron Back | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Conagra, which makes Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, said organic sales in its fiscal third quarter rose 6.1% from a year earlier. Conagra Brands posted lukewarm results on Wednesday that should nonetheless be reassuring to investors in it and other packaged food companies. The maker of Marie Callender’s pies and Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn said Wednesday that organic sales in its fiscal third quarter rose 6.1% from a year earlier. That was a significant slowdown from 8.6% in the second quarter, and a tad less than the 6.3% growth that analysts had penciled in, according to consensus estimates from Visible Alpha.

☆ 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.

☆ Morning Bid: Markets labor under recession cloud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. If the tight U.S. labor market is finally unwinding, markets suspect the Federal Reserve's job may well done after all - but at the cost of a looming recession. With Wednesday's private sector jobs reading for March and Friday's national payrolls report ahead, U.S. interest rate markets were jolted again on Tuesday by surprisingly soft data on job vacancies that suggested cooling demand for staff. More decisively, the two-year Treasury yield plunged more than 20 basis points intraday to hover just above 3.8% on Wednesday. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Nvidia, Palantir, Western Alliance, Johnson & Johnson and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Western Alliance Bancorporation logo is seen in this photo illustration on 13 March, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland. This development would give U.S. government customers and industry partners access to enterprise-grade capabilities by Palantir and Microsoft. Western Alliance also said it has enough liquidity to cover the remaining uninsured deposits. Johnson & Johnson — Shares rose about 3%. Conagra Brands — The packaged goods food company rose 3% after topping Wall Street's expectations on the top and bottom lines for the recent quarter, according to FactSet.

☆ Hot off an up quarter for stocks, investors turn to jobs, manufacturing data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Another busy week of macroeconomic data will kick of the new quarter, following a volatile first quarter for stocks that ultimately finished in the black. The market's second quarter kicks off Monday with the ISM manufacturing report, followed on Tuesday by data on factory orders. We're looking for a Goldilocks report: not so hot to stoke more inflation fears, but not so cold to intensify worries about a recession. Wednesday's ADP employment report is also important, given the Fed's goal of slowing the job market to bring down inflation. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Bath & Body Works adds director, Third Point backs off proxy fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Shoppers wait in line outside a Bath and Body Works retail store in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., December 8, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoNEW YORK, March 6 (Reuters) - Bath & Body Works Inc (BBWI.N) on Monday named veteran financial executive and board member Thomas Kuhn as a new director, ending a potential challenge from billionaire investor Daniel Loeb's hedge fund Third Point. "Tom’s 35 year history as a respected financial and legal advisor, including working with consumer companies, will bring an important perspective to Bath & Body Works as it focuses on its key strategic initiatives to maximize shareholder value," Bath & Body Works board chair Sarah Nash said in a statement. Bath & Body Works, which is valued at roughly $10 billion, has been operating as a standalone company since 2021. At Bath & Body Works the company was advised by law firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, financial services company J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, proxy solicitor Innisfree M&A Inc and public relations firm Joele Frank.

☆ Bath & Body Works calls investor Third Point's proxy contest "misguided"
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 27 (Reuters) - Bath & Body Works Inc (BBWI.N) said on Monday investor Third Point's potential proxy contest is misguided and is a result of the specialty retailer not willing to appoint the hedge fund's former co-chief investment officer to its board. Bath & Body Works said in the last twelve months the board has appointed four highly qualified directors, of which Lucy Brady, a senior executive at Conagra Brands (CAG.N), was proposed by Third Point. In a letter to its shareholders, the company said the potential proxy contest was due to the board's unwillingness to appoint Loeb's former partner Munib Islam to the board. Islam, who played a key role in Third Point's activist campaigns, left the firm in 2020 and is now a senior executive at LTS One, an investment partnership. While it has taken "reasonable" steps to avoid a proxy fight, Bath & Body Works said it is "disappointing and unfortunate" that it will have to spend more time on this despite efforts to engage productively with the hedge fund.

[1/3] Ben & Jerry's, a brand of Unilever, is seen on display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 24, 2022. Eliminating less popular products is part of a "decomplexity program" underway at Kraft Heinz, its executives said at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference this week. Nestle said cutting products saved 1 billion Swiss francs last year ($1.06 billion), while Unilever said the practice saved $2 billion. At the consumer products conference they highlighted new offerings, many of them increasingly popular handheld foods that people can eat while scrolling on phones. "You'd be shocked by the loyalty and personal connections people have to food products," he said.

[1/3] Ben & Jerry's, a brand of Unilever, is seen on display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 24, 2022. Nestle said cutting products saved 1 billion Swiss francs last year ($1.06 billion), while Unilever said the practice saved $2 billion. Food makers tend to cull products without much fanfare. At the consumer products conference they highlighted new offerings, many of them increasingly popular handheld foods that people can eat while scrolling on phones. "You'd be shocked by the loyalty and personal connections people have to food products," he said.

☆ Bath & Body Works adds second new director amid pressure from Third Point
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last week Bath & Body Works added Lucy Brady, a senior executive at Conagra Brands (CAG.N) and consumer products veteran to the board, expanding the group to 11 from 10 members. Voskuil and Brady's appointments come weeks after Third Point, which owns a 6% stake in the company, hinted it might push for board seats. In December Third Point announced its stake in a regulatoryfiling and criticized the company's high costs, includinggenerous executive pay. Bath & Body Works, best known for selling soaps, candles andlotions, is valued at $10 billion. Third Point spent an average of $38.16 per share on thestock which is now trading at $40.76.

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.

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