Latest news with #MatthewSmith
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stifel Reduces PT on Conagra Brands (CAG) Stock
Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is one of the Best Mid Cap FMCG Stocks to Buy Now. Stifel analyst Matthew Smith reduced the price objective on the company's stock to $21 from $26, while keeping a 'Hold' rating, as reported by The Fly. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG)'s EPS miss compared to estimates was due to the lower-than-expected sales and margin performance, according to the firm's analyst. Notably, the company posted diluted EPS of $0.53 for Q4 2025, and adjusted EPS decreased 8.2% to $0.56. A worker assembling a meal in a food production facility. Furthermore, the contraction in gross margin was due to lower sales, inflation, and negative operating leverage. These factors more than offset the increased productivity savings, opines the analyst. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG)'s gross margin fell 228 bps to 25.4% in Q4 2025, and adjusted gross margin declined 184 bps to 25.8%. In FY 2026, Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) expects elevated inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty to persist. However, it is focused on proactively managing the business through investments in its high-potential frozen and snacks domains, prioritizing volume strength, and further enhancing the supply chain resiliency, while at the same time, maintaining disciplined cost management and emphasis on cash flow. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) opines that such actions can enable the company to deliver sustainable growth and stronger margins over time. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) operates as a consumer-packaged goods food company. While we acknowledge the potential of CAG as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 13 Cheap AI Stocks to Buy According to Analysts and 11 Unstoppable Growth Stocks to Invest in Now Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
19-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Order on International Criminal Court Likely Violates First Amendment, Judge Rules
An executive order by President Trump seeking to punish people who work with the International Criminal Court is most likely a violation of the First Amendment, a federal judge found on Friday. Judge Nancy Torresen of the Federal District Court in Maine shielded two U.S. human rights activists from any penalties for violating the directive, saying that by threatening to punish anyone who provides 'funds, goods or services' to I.C.C. officials under sanctions, the order restricts a swath of speech-based activity that goes beyond its stated aims. The ruling marked a striking, if tentative and limited, blow to Mr. Trump's efforts to penalize and isolate the world's highest criminal court. It has drawn his ire by issuing arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials and conducting preliminary investigations into U.S. personnel at secret C.I.A. sites overseas years ago. The court, in turn, has said Mr. Trump is trying to harm its 'independent and impartial judicial work.' The stated focus of Mr. Trump's executive order is what it characterizes as the court's 'baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel' and the potential arrest of 'current and former United States personnel.' But those objectives, the judge found, have little to do with the work performed by the two plaintiffs, Matthew Smith and Akila Radhakrishnan, who have assisted the court's Office of the Prosecutor with investigations in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Because of the executive order, lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union told the court, Mr. Smith and Ms. Radhakrishnan had suspended their work with the court. The United States is not part of the treaty that founded the court, which is based at The Hague. It prosecutes individuals for war crimes and atrocities. An older court at The Hague, the International Court of Justice, issues opinions on broader issues between nations, such as climate change. Judge Torresen, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, paused the enforcement of the order while she considers the case, but only for the two plaintiffs. When Mr. Smith and Ms. Radhakrishnan filed their lawsuit in April, they sought the sweeping relief known as a nationwide injunction that would have blocked the president's order across the country. Judge Torresen's decision appeared to reflect a June ruling by the Supreme Court that curtailed such injunctions. The Trump administration has used the executive order to impose sanctions on four I.C.C. judges; the court's embattled prosecutor, Karim Khan; and Francesca Albanese, a special rapporteur for the United Nations who has worked with the court in its investigation of Israel's war in Gaza. Last year, the court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as well as the country's former defense minister and three Hamas officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ms. Albanese was assisting the I.C.C. with 'campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty.' Ms. Albanese called the sanctions against her 'mafia techniques of intimidation' in a recent phone interview with The New York Times.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Philip Morris (PM) Gains on ZYN MRTP Review, Stifel Maintains Buy Rating
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) ranks among the . On June 13, Stifel analyst Matthew Smith maintained his Buy rating on Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), continuing his positive outlook. The update came in response to a combination of Philip Morris's strategic posture and regulatory developments. One such development comes in the form of the FDA beginning its review of Philip Morris's Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) applications for ZYN products. This procedure, which comes after the previous PMTA approval, would give Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) a competitive advantage in the tobacco industry by enabling it to offer ZYN with lower risk claims. Smith believes that ZYN has a good chance of being authorized under the MRTP, which is reinforced by the FDA's previous positive comments on similar products. Additionally, Philip Morris's growth profile remains robust when compared to its counterparts in the global consumer staples market, thanks to its shift to smoke-free products and smart pricing tactics. Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) is a global tobacco company that provides services to consumers in over 180 countries. With Marlboro as its signature product, the firm stands out among the titans of 'Big Tobacco.' While we acknowledge the potential of PM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. Read More: and Disclosure: None. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ferrero clinches deal to acquire WK Kellogg for $3.1B, bringing Nutella and Froot Loops under one roof
Ferrero announced Thursday it will buy cereal maker WK Kellogg (KLG) for a price tag of $3.1 billion, or $23 per share. This deal will bring brands including Ferraro Rocher, Nutella, and Tic Tac together with cereal brands like Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops. Shares of Kellogg were up as much as 30% on Thursday to trade near $22.85, just below the announced deal price. The stock surged as much as 50% late Wednesday after The Wall Street Journal first reported the two sides were close to a deal. Ahead of the news, shares of Kellogg had been down about 3% so far this year. "We believe this proposed transaction maximizes value for our shareowners and enables WK Kellogg Co to write the next chapter of our company's storied legacy," WK Kellogg chairman and CEO Gary Pilnick said in the release. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025. The company also shared it expects second quarter revenue to come in the range $610 million-$615 million, lower than analysts' expectations for closer to $650 billion, per Bloomberg consensus estimates. Last quarter, its net sales fell 6.2% year-over-year to $663 million, while net income also fell 45.5% to $18 million. At the time, Kellogg lowered its sales guidance, with expectations for net sales to fall between 2%-3% for the year. Earnings growth is expected to fall within a range of 0% to -2%, compared to prior guidance for earnings growth of 4%-8%. Over the four weeks ending June 29, cereal category sales fell 1.8% "in line with the trend from recent months," Stifel analyst Matthew Smith wrote in a note to clients. For WK Kellogg in particular, dollar sales were down 5.7% in that same time frame. It could get even worse when compared to the highs of the pandemic, per Smith. He said that "cereal sales had been running down -1.5% or so, we believe the volumes are likely to continue to move towards the historical decline rate." This deal comes nearly two years after Kellogg split into two companies, WK Kellogg and Kellanova (K), the latter of which houses its snack brands like Pop-Tarts and Cheez-Its. Kellanova is set to be acquired by Mars Candy for closer to $36 billion dollars. This deal also comes during what's been an active time for deals in the food and beverage space. In addition the Mars-Kellanova tie-up, PepsiCo (PEP) announced deals for Siete Foods and soda brand Poppi earlier this year for $1.2 billion and $1.95 billion, respectively. For Ferrero, the deal gives the company a deeper foot print in the US, with its executive chairman Giovanni Ferrero calling the deal a "key milestone" in its efforts to growth in North America presence. The company recently acquired Wells Enterprise, behind the ice cream brand Blue Bunny, and Nestle's US chocolate business. Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@ Sign in to access your portfolio
News.com.au
30-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Beaumont Newcastle preview: Muir motors on with promising filly
Trainer Matthew Smith is intent on ensuring the colours of one of the sport's living legends fly high at Beaumont on Tuesday and well into what he forecasts is a bright future for the flashy filly, Fairhead. Iconic owner/breeder and businessman John Muir has much to look forward to, Smith says, with Fairhead who was born and raised at Muir's boutique nursery, Milburn Creek, situated at Grose Vale on the banks of the Hawkesbury river. Fairhead is the first horse Smith has trained for Muir – for many years, the man behind the Muir Motors dealership at Ashfield – and he's glad to have them both on his team. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'John is a top man,'' Smith said. 'He breeds some nice horses. He doesn't muck around. He's got good mares and they breed them well. 'I am bloody happy to have one for him and I think Fairhead will make the grade once she gets over a bit of ground next prep. 'I quite like her actually.' Fairhead, an aptly-named chestnut with three white feet and a baldy face, was bred to win a Golden Slipper being a half-sister to the Muir-designed Sizzling. And despite the fact she is also by the speed stallion Pariah, Smith has Fairhead pegged as a stayer in the making. 'She's got stayer written all over her, she'll go all day,'' he said. 'She ran well the other day. She stepped out of a Country Maiden to a Benchmark 64 and she wasn't beaten far.'' Fairhead storms home and wins on the line at Goulburn! @AlyshaCollett | @mcsmithracing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 30, 2025 Fairhead will have company in Tuesday's Horsepower feeds Class 1 & Maiden Plate (2100m) from her imported stablemate De Louviere. The son of German Derby winner Sea The Moon blotted an otherwise exemplary copybook when f ading to finish down the order at Wyong in what was a no-holds barred, energy-sapping war of attrition over 2000m. 'They just overdid it up front,'' Smith said. 'I wanted to go forward but not doing all the work. 'He's freshened-up nicely. I'm really happy with him. I can't see him running a bad race, his work has been great. 'He has got a stack of weight, we probably should have claimed on him, but he does handle wet tracks and he is fit and well.' Smith meanwhile couldn't have crafted a more favourable set of circumstances to aid the blue-blooded Tonkatsu Goddess post her second career win on Tuesday after a close-call at Newcastle on June 14. 'I think the winner of that race might be okay,'' Smith said. 'The margin was less than a length and they beat the others clearly. 'I thought she ran great, the other horse was just too good. 'She has drawn well and likes it wet and she's fit. She should be hard to beat. 'She's always around the money somewhere, she has just been a later maturer and has taken a bit of time that's all.' Tonkatsu Goddess races in the famous Francis and Christine Cook colours; the same worn by Smith's Toorak Handicap, Cantala Stakes and Makybe Diva Stakes triple Group 1 winner, Fierce Impact. And like him, Tonkatsu Goddess is of Japanese descent on her dam-side, boasting successful 2015 George Ryder Stakes raider Real Impact close up on her page. Smith's remaining runner on Tuesday's card is the lightly-raced Andhe's Brave who steps out for just the third time in his career in the Dailey Family Funerals Maiden Plate (1150m). 'He is a big, backward horse,' Smith said. 'He is doing a good job. Both runs have been good and now he has drawn a decent gate I think he will be right there.' â– â– â– â– â– Freedmans on a roll ahead of Tuesday's Beaumont meeting Richard and Will Freedman are hoping to start the month of July in the same way they ended June when the father and son training duo cart two of their young string to Newcastle for today's Beaumont meeting. The Rosehill-based partnership were credited with one of the shortest-priced winners of the entire 2024/25 season when Cold Brew lashed his rivals at Winx-like odds of $1.28. Fast forward three days to Saturday and the Freedmans collected another Midway, this time with the 2024 Four Pillars placegetter, Rolling Magic. 'It's been a good period,'' Will Freedman said. 'We have actually got quite a young team at the moment so it will be a busy winter into spring for us.' The Freedmans' first runner on Tuesday's card is the New Zealand-bred Sir Tua who looks a potentially cheap purchase after being secured at Karaka in 2024 for $35,000. That's despite the now gelded son of Tagaloa tracing back on a direct line to a mare named Imitation who will be forever remembered as the mother of Bonecrusher. While it is unlikely Sir Tua will ever 'race into equine immortality' himself, he does have a future as time goes by. 'He is doing things a bit wrong at the moment,'' Freedman reported. 'His racing manners aren't exactly where we would like them to be. He is trying to do things a little bit aggressively but we have taken the view that you don't learn a lot in the paddock. 'He is just learning his racecraft and when he puts it all together, he has got the ability to be well and truly out of maiden grade.' Tricolours' easily recognisable silks will be on show at Beaumont on Tuesday, worn by in-form jockey Alysha Collett aboard the handsome debutante Hell Island. The son of Hellbent's latest trial reads as 'last of nine' at Rosehill but with excuses. 'We just got caught behind horses going very comfortably and he didn't have anywhere to go,'' Freedman said 'He is probably the odds you would expect for a horse that hasn't been overly competitive in metropolitan trials but I think in both of his sets of trials, he has been under pretty hard holds.' Hell Island was bred by prominent owner/breeder Richard Pegum of Amelia's Dream (et al) fame. Tricolours' gelding was offered by Cressfield as agent at the Magic Millions Yearling sale in 2024, knocked down for the not insignificant sum of $135,000.
