Premier Foods (LON:PFD) Issues Earnings Results

Premier Foods (LON:PFD) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported GBX 15.80 earnings per share for the quarter, Digital Look Earnings reports. Premier Foods had a return on equity of 9.27% and a net margin of 11.49%.The company had revenue of GBX 117.55 billion during the quarter.

Here are the key takeaways from Premier Foods’ conference call:

• Premier Foods reported strong full-year growth, with revenue up 2.5% to £1.175 billion and branded revenue up 3.4%, driven by a powerful second half and continued market share gains in the U.K. and Australia.
• Trading profit exceeded raised guidance, rising 6.7% to just over £200 million, while adjusted EPS increased 8.7% as lower interest costs supported earnings growth.
• The company generated over £150 million of free cash flow and reduced net debt to £95 million, bringing leverage down to 0.4x despite higher capital spending and the Merchant Gourmet acquisition.
• Management highlighted strong progress on its 5-pillar growth strategy, including 7%+ branded growth in sweet treats, more distribution points, and successful new-product launches such as OXO bone broth, Mr Kipling innovation, and FUEL10K extensions.
• The board plans to introduce an interim dividend starting this financial year and raised the final dividend by 20%, reflecting confidence in cash generation, balance sheet strength, and improving pension-related cash flows.

Premier Foods Stock Up 3.2%

LON:PFD traded up GBX 6.30 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching GBX 203.60. The stock had a trading volume of 4,514,811 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,841,996. The company has a market capitalization of £1.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.61. Premier Foods has a 1-year low of GBX 165.20 and a 1-year high of GBX 216.50. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is GBX 191.80 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 184.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.01, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.41.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 230 price target on shares of Premier Foods in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Berenberg Bank restated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 280 price objective on shares of Premier Foods in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Shore Capital Group reaffirmed a “house stock” rating on shares of Premier Foods in a research report on Monday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 245.

About Premier Foods

Premier Foods plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes branded and own label food products in the United Kingdom, other European countries, and internationally. The company operates through Grocery, Sweet Treats, and international segments. It offers a portfolio of product categories, including flavorings and seasonings under the Bisto, OXO, Paxo, and Saxa brands; cooking sauces and accompaniments under the Sharwood's, Loyd Grossman, Spice Tailor and Homepride brands; quick meals, snacks, and soups under the Batchelors and Smash brands; ambient desserts under the Ambrosia, Bird's, and Angel Delight brands; and ambient cakes under the Mr Kipling and Cadbury brands.