ConAgra Foods Misses Where it Counts

ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG  ) reported earnings on April 3. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Feb. 24 (Q3), ConAgra Foods met expectations on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue increased. Non-GAAP earnings per share grew. GAAP earnings per share contracted significantly.

Margins dropped across the board.

Revenue details
ConAgra Foods chalked up revenue of $3.85 billion. The 11 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ wanted to see revenue of $3.90 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 14% higher than the prior-year quarter's $3.37 billion.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at $0.55. The 13 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.56 per share. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.55 for Q3 were 7.8% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.51 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.29 for Q3 were 55% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.65 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 22.7%, 90 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 6.8%, 430 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 3.1%, 500 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $4.67 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.58.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $15.62 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.15.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 623 members out of 693 rating the stock outperform, and 70 members rating it underperform. Among 217 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 207 give ConAgra Foods a green thumbs-up, and 10 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on ConAgra Foods is outperform, with an average price target of $35.92.

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