Campbell is ready to compete

Article Excerpt

CAMPBELL SOUP CO. $32 (New York symbol CPB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 318.7 million; Market cap: $10.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 3.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.campbellsoupcompany.com) is the world’s largest maker of canned soups. It also makes Prego canned pasta and sauces, Pepperidge Farm cookies and V8 vegetable juices. The company’s sales rose 1.7%, from $7.9 billion in 2007 to $8.0 billion in 2008 (fiscal years end July 31). Sales fell to $7.6 billion in 2009, but rose to $7.7 billion in 2011. Erratic earnings set to stabilize Earnings fell from $1.99 a share (or a total of $792 million) in 2007 to $1.75 a share (or $671 million) in 2008. Earnings rebounded to $2.42 a share (or $844 million) in 2010. In 2011, overall earnings fell to $802 million, but earnings per share remained unchanged at $2.42 due to fewer shares outstanding. Without unusual costs, including a 2010 charge related to the U.S. health-care law, which…