When a company carries out a spinoff, it sets up one of its subsidiaries as a separate firm, then hands out shares in the new company to its own shareholders. I can still say without reservation that spinoffs are the closest thing you can find… Read More

CONAGRA FOODS INC. $45 (New York symbol CAG; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 436.4 million; Market cap: $19.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.conagra foods.com) makes packaged foods, including Chef Boyardee canned pasta, Hunt’s tomato sauce, Peter Pan… Read More

Increasingly health-conscious consumers are switching away from processed foods. In response, these top food producers are developing healthier products. But they are also restructuring to cut their costs. That should continue to expand their earnings.

KRAFT HEINZ CO. $79 (Nasdaq symbol KHC; Conservative Growth and… Read More

PFIZER INC., $32.50, New York symbol PFE, is the world’s largest pharmaceutical company. It has cancelled its merger with Irish drugmaker Allergan plc (New York symbol AGN), which is best known for the anti-wrinkle drug Botox. The deal was meant to cut the combined firm’s… Read More

Today, we look at a packaged food producer that has some of the strongest brands in the grocery store, such as Chef Boyardee pasta. ConAgra Foods’ sales to consumers make up 70% of its business, and the company is catering to changing… Read More

As consumers, particularly baby boomers, become more health conscious, they are eating fewer canned and packaged foods. In response, ConAgra and Campbell Soup are switching to organic ingredients and putting less salt and sugar in their products.

Both firms are also cutting costs and investing… Read More

CONAGRA FOODS INC., $40.85, New York symbol CAG, rose 5% this week after announcing it will spin off its commercial-food operations as a separate publicly traded company.

This new business, called Lamb Weston, sells frozen potatoes and other vegetable products to restaurants and other food makers… Read More

CONAGRA FOODS INC. $42 (New York symbol CAG; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 432.9 million; Market cap: $18.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.conagrafoods.com) makes packaged foods, including Chef Boyardee canned pasta, Hunt’s tomato sauce, Peter Pan… Read More

VISA INC., $78.75, New York symbol V, set up its European operations (Visa Europe) as an independent firm in 2008. Over 3,700 European banks own this business, which uses Visa’s brand and payment networks under a licensing deal.

This week, Visa agreed to buy Visa Europe… Read More

CONAGRA FOODS INC. $40 (New York symbol CAG; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 429.2 million; Market cap: $17.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.conagrafoods.com) paid $4.75 billion for Ralcorp Holdings, the largest private-label food maker in the U.S.,… Read More