ConAgra Raises Prices to Cover Higher Costs

Article Excerpt

CONAGRA FOODS INC. $20 (New York symbol CAG; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 453.0 million; Market cap: $9.1 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) earned $0.27 a share in its first fiscal quarter ended August 24, 2008, up 3.8% from $0.26 a year earlier. These figures exclude unusual items. Revenue rose 17.0%, to $3.1 billion from $2.6 billion. Higher selling prices helped the company offset rising prices for raw materials such as vegetable oil, wheat and chicken. ConAgra now expects to earn $1.50 a share in fiscal 2009, and the stock trades at just 13.3 times that estimate. The company should also benefit as the slowing economy prompts more people to eat at home instead of in restaurants. As well, ongoing cost controls should let ConAgra keep paying its $0.76 dividend, which yields 3.8%. ConAgra is a buy. buy…