November 12, 2024
HRL: Earnings Preview, Updated Outlook
Hormel will report Q4 results in a few weeks and provide guidance for 2025. We expect management to project significant growth from 2024 and for guidance to anticipate substantial progress toward its T&I EBIT improvement…
October 4, 2024
HJR Protein Roundup: Helene Take
Given the ferocity of Hurricane Helene’s winds and its drenching rains, damage to the broiler industry that is concentrated in the Southeast is to be expected. The industry is no stranger to hurricane damage as…
September 13, 2024
HJR Protein Roundup: Production Outlook
2024 has borne a striking resemblance to 2014/2015 – sharp contraction in cattle herd (bottomed in 2014, down 9% from 2007 peak), dropping feed costs, bird flu and supply challenges within the broiler industry. This…
September 12, 2024
HRL: Updated Estimates, Outlook
Similarly to Q2, multiple factors depressed Hormel’s Q3 results sales and obscured relatively strong dynamics in the core. The top line missed on a greater-than-expected impact from lower whole bird and contract manufacturing sales, as…
August 26, 2024
Adj Est; ’24 Sales Guide a Risk, but 2025 View Intact
Hormel has been buffeted by multiple challenges this year in addition to the overall consumer malaise affecting the entire industry. The weak whole bird market has been more of a headwind than expected and the…
June 8, 2024
HRL: Big Picture Focus
HRL reported a strong Q2 EPS beat on the back of much stronger-than-expected margins; sales were dramatically below estimates and retail volumes, in particular, disappointed. Mgmt guided to a weaker Q3 (raised mid-point of full-year)…
May 31, 2024
HJR Protein Roundup: The Haves & Have-Nots
With the exception of beef processors, the protein industry is enjoying strong, even robust, profitability. Supply has been the key factor, but demand seems to have positively inflected, as well. In our view, this should…
May 20, 2024
HRL: Q2 Est Below Consensus, but Longer-Term Outlook Increasingly Constructive
We have trimmed our Q2 estimate by a penny, taking it to $0.34, $0.02 below consensus. Our full-year 2024 projection stays $1.61 and we have raised our 2025 projection to $1.75, $0.02 and $0.06 above…
April 22, 2024
HJR Protein Roundup: Updated Supply Outlook; Demand Broadly ‘OK’, but Potential Challenges
With the exception of beef packers (est losses in the $200-ish/head range), the protein complex has enjoyed robust margins. We estimate that the average BB broiler producer is generating profits approaching $0.30/lb, while small- and…
April 8, 2024
Coverage Overview
As we noted in our industry notes published earlier today, we are not utilizing the typical rating system, but instead, are using a forced rank process. This note shows current ranking based upon Friday’s close.