This column has been critical of ConAgra. Most of its brands are not first-tier market leaders. Its restructuring plans have been in doubt.
But, ConAgra answered the bell. The company has sold off poor performing divisions faster than planned. Cost are down. And, fiscal second quarter earnings rose 44% to $220 million.
The company’s CEO did comment that inflation could put a strain on future results,
The Wall Street Journal says that many analysts are still worried about ConAgra’s future: Credit Suisse’s David C. Nelson told clients this week that while ConAgra "might not hit a wall for some time…we continue to believe that the brands in this portfolio lack strength, and we have not yet seen evidence that CAG can drive topline growth." He rates the stock neutral.
The market liked the results. The stock had been trading below $27. It spiked up to over $28.20 on the news before settling back to $27.40.
The stock now trades near its 52-week high, and up from the low of $18.85.
The company has some believers back, and now it has to keep them.
Douglas A. McIntyre can be reached at [email protected]. He does not own securities in companies that he writes about.