ConAgra Foods Reports Strong Second-Quarter EPS Driven by Excellent Consumer Foods Growth

Success with innovation and marketing drove significantly improved market shares and top-line progress in the Consumer Foods segment for the quarter, while a more favorable input cost environment and strong cost savings substantially contributed to profit growth.

22 Dec 2009 --- ConAgra Foods, Inc., one of North America’s leading packaged food companies, reported results for the fiscal 2010 second quarter ended Nov. 29, 2009. Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.55 compared with $0.38 a year ago. Current quarter results include $0.03 per diluted share of net benefit, and prior year amounts included $0.05 of net expense, from items impacting comparability. Diluted EPS from continuing operations was up 45% as reported and 21% on a comparable basis.

Items impacting comparability in the current year and prior year are summarized toward the end of this release.

Gary Rodkin, ConAgra Foods’ chief executive officer, commented, “Our strong performance this quarter reflects continued momentum in the Consumer Foods segment and gives us heightened confidence in our fiscal 2010 EPS outlook. Success with innovation and marketing drove significantly improved market shares and top-line progress in the Consumer Foods segment for the quarter, while a more favorable input cost environment and strong cost savings substantially contributed to profit growth. We are very pleased with our success this year and with the increased EPS outlook, and expect to continue demonstrating the earnings power of our company with consistent and sustainable growth.”

Consumer Foods Segment (64% of year-to-date sales)

Branded and non-branded food sold in retail and foodservice channels.

The Consumer Foods segment posted sales of $2,078 million and operating profit of $330 million for the quarter. Top-line progress was broad-based. Sales increased 3% as reported, which includes an approximate 1% negative impact from lower sales of Slim Jim products given that brand’s ongoing recovery. SKU rationalization negatively impacted sales growth by approximately 1%.

Unit volumes increased 2% as reported, which includes an approximate 1% negative impact from lower sales of Slim Jim products and 1% negative impact from SKU rationalization efforts.

* Large brands that posted strong sales growth include Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Hunt’s, Marie Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, Peter Pan, Snack Pack, and several others.
* More brand details can be found in the Q&A document accompanying this release.

Operating profit of $330 million was 31% ahead of last year’s $251 million; this significant growth occurred even with $24 million of increased marketing investment. The year-over-year profit improvement was due to a more favorable input cost environment, strong productivity savings, and good sales results. The company expects continued year-over-year operating profit growth for this segment for the rest of the fiscal year. The company estimates that Consumer Foods profitability was negatively impacted by approximately $7 million due to lower Slim Jim volumes and higher Slim Jim production costs in the fiscal second quarter.

Commercial Foods Segment (36% of year-to-date sales)

Specialty potato, dehydrated vegetable, seasonings, blends, flavors, and milled grain products sold to foodservice and commercial channels worldwide.

Sales for the Commercial Foods segment were $1,095 million, 11% below last year’s $1,235 million; approximately $110 million of the sales decline was due to lower flour milling sales, which reflect the pass-through impact of lower underlying wheat costs. Segment operating profit was $160 million, 1% above last year’s $158 million. Lamb Weston profits improved, reflecting the positive impacts of higher prices necessitated by increased input costs, as well as plant efficiencies and a refinement to its product cost allocation process; these were partially offset by the negative impact on sales and volume of difficult food service industry conditions. Flour milling profitability increased due to mill efficiencies and favorable wheat market conditions. Profits for the rest of the segment were below year-ago amounts, reflecting continued difficult market conditions for key vegetable items.

Although the segment posted profit growth for the first half of the fiscal year largely due to higher-than-planned flour milling profits, on a full-year basis the company continues to expect the Commercial Foods segment to deliver operating profits in line with year-ago amounts due, in part, to expectations for continued softness in the food service industry.

Hedging Activities – This language primarily relates to operations other than the company’s milling operations.

The company recorded $6 million of net hedging benefit as unallocated Corporate expense in the current quarter, versus $48 million of net hedging loss as unallocated Corporate expense in the year-ago period. The company identifies both of these amounts as items impacting comparability. Those amounts are reclassified from unallocated Corporate expense to the operating segments when the underlying commodity being hedged is recognized in segment cost of goods sold.

Other Items

* Corporate expense was $94 million for the quarter and $111 million in the year-ago period. Current quarter amounts include $6 million of benefit due to hedging activities, and prior year amounts include $48 million of hedge loss. Excluding these amounts, Corporate expense was $101 million for the quarter and $64 million in the year-ago period, with the year-over-year increase largely reflecting higher incentive accruals.
* Equity method investment earnings were $6 million for the second quarter, up from $2 million in the year-ago period.
* Net interest expense was $41 million in the current quarter compared with $43 million in the year-ago period; interest income from the notes receivable held in connection with the divestiture of the Trading & Merchandising operations benefited the current quarter and the year-ago period by approximately $20 million and $18 million, respectively.
* The effective tax rate for continuing operations for the quarter rounded to 33%, lower than planned due to the benefit of certain income tax credits and deductions that relate to previous periods. The benefit from this lower rate is cited as an item impacting comparability. Going forward, the company expects an effective tax rate of approximately 35% for continuing operations, excluding items impacting comparability.

Capital Items

* Dividends for the quarter totaled $84 million versus $86 million last year, reflecting fewer shares outstanding.
* For the quarter, capital expenditures from continuing operations for property, plant, and equipment were $123 million, compared with $115 million in the year-ago period. Depreciation and amortization expense from continuing operations was approximately $83 million for the quarter; this compares with a total of $79 million in the year-ago period.