Best Food Companies To Buy For 2014

Fort Washington, Penn.-based Nutrisystem (NASDAQ: NTRI  ) has a new chief financial officer. On Thursday morning, the diet and nutrition company announced it has hired Michael P. Monahan to become its CFO effective May 22.

At first glance, it seems an unusual choice for a food company, since Monahan served as CFO of PetroChoice Holdings, a privately held distributor of industrial, commercial, and automotive lubricants, since 2009. But in fact, he's an old hand at Nutrisystem. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Nutrisystem's vice president of finance.

Welcoming him back to the fold, CEO Dawn Zier said: "We are pleased that Mike has rejoined the company as Chief Financial Officer. He was universally respected during his previous tenure with the company and is a natural fit for us. He knows our business and saw firsthand the innovation and direct consumer response discipline that propelled the company during our growth phase. His perspective and financial expertise will be invaluable as we work to execute our turnaround plan."

Top Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2015: Nestle SA (NESN)

Nestle SA is a Swiss Company engaged in the nutrition, health and wellness sectors. It is the holding company of the Nestle Group, which comprises subsidiaries, associated companies and joint ventures throughout the world. It has such business units as Food and Beverage, Nestle Waters and Nestle Nutrition. It is also active in the pharmaceutical sector. It divides its products into Powdered and liquid beverages, Water, Milk products and Ice cream, Nutrition, Prepared dishes and cooking aids, Confectionery, PetCare and Pharmaceutical products. In February 2011, the Company acquired CM&D Pharma Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Celeste Perri]

  Nestle SA (NESN) is selling Givaudan (GIVN) SA shares worth $1.27 billion at yesterday�� closing price to institutional investors, winding down its stake in the world�� largest flavorings maker.

Best Food Companies To Buy For 2014: Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL)

Hormel Foods Corporation processes, markets, and sells consumer-branded meat and food products. The company operates in five segments: Grocery Products, Refrigerated Foods, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Specialty Foods, and International & Other. The Grocery Products segment offers shelf-stable food products, including canned luncheon meats, shelf-stable microwaveable meals, stews, chilies, hash, meat spreads, flour and corn tortillas, salsas, and tortilla chips in the retail market. The Refrigerated Foods segment provides branded and unbranded pork and beef products for retail, foodservice, and fresh product customers. The Jennie-O Turkey Store segment offers branded and unbranded turkey products for retail, foodservice, and fresh product customers. The Specialty Foods segment is involved in the packaging and sale of various sugar and sugar substitute products, salt and pepper products, liquid portion products, dessert mixes, ready-to-drink products, sports nutrition products, g elatin products, and private label canned meats to retail and foodservice customers. This segment also processes, markets, and sells nutritional food products and supplements to hospitals, nursing homes, and other marketers of nutritional products. The International and Other segment manufactures, markets, and sells its products internationally. Hormel Foods Corporation sells its products through sales personnel, as well as through independent brokers and distributors primarily in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, England, Japan, Mexico, Micronesia, the Philippines, and South Korea. The company was formerly known as George A. Hormel & Company and changed its name to Hormel Foods Corporation in January 1995. Hormel Foods Corporation was founded in 1891 and is based in Austin, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:
  
  Company Description: Hormel Foods Corp. is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products.

• [By Dan Burrows]

  Stocks to Sell: Hormel (HRL)

  Hormel (HRL) is having a good year despite turbulent times for food companies. HRL stock notched an all-time of $49.52 earlier this week and is having a solid 2014. Indeed, HRL is up almost 8% this year.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Analysts are expecting Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) to have earned $0.56 per share on revenue of $2.24 billion in the second quarter. Hormel shares surged 0.25% to $48.65 in after-hours trading.

Best Food Companies To Buy For 2014: Koninklijke Ahold NV (AHONY)

Koninklijke Ahold N.V. (Ahold), incorporated on April 29, 1920, is engaged in the operation of retail food stores in the United States and Europe through subsidiaries and joint ventures. Ahold�� retail operations are presented in four segments: Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover, Giant-Carlisle, Albert Heijn and Albert/Hypernova. During the fiscal year ended January 3, 2010 (fiscal 2009), it operated 2,909 stores. On February 8, 2010, Ahold�� Giant-Carlisle acquired 25 stores from Ukrop�� Super Markets.

Franchisees operated 783 of the Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall stores, 463 of which were either owned by the franchisees or leased independently from Ahold. Of the 2,446 stores, 20% were company-owned and 80% were leased. Ahold�� stores range in size from 20 to over 10,000 square meters. Albert Heijn is a food retailer in the Netherlands. Etos is a health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands. Gall & Gall is a wine and liquor specialist in the Netherlands. Stop & Shop is a supermarket brand, operating in six states in the northeast United States. Giant-Landover is a supermarket brand, operating in four states in the mid-Atlantic United States. Peapod is an online grocery delivery service working in partnership with Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover. It also serves the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, and the northern areas of Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  As mentioned, Kroger is still swallowing Harris Teeter and has said it needs time to make more acquisitions. Royal Ahold (NASDAQOTH: AHONY  ) is also said to be leery about doing large acquisitions these days, while Cerberus recently finished acquiring the Albertsons and Acme chains from SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU  ) �for $3.3 billion.

Best Food Companies To Buy For 2014: Star Scientific Inc (STSI)

Star Scientific, Inc. (Star Scientific), incorporated on June 24, 1985, is engaged in the manufacturing and production of dietary supplements. The Company�� operating subsidiaries manufacture, distribute and sell consumer products and dietary supplements. Its segment includes dietary supplements. Through its Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Rock Creek) subsidiary, the Company is engaged in the manufacture, sale, marketing and development of non-nicotine nutraceutical, dietary supplements: Anatabloc, for anti-inflammatory support; the manufacture, sale and marketing of a cosmetic facial cream, and the development of other nutraceuticals, dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products. On December 14, 2012, the Company voted to discontinue the manufacturing, distribution and sale of its dissolvable smokeless tobacco products, Ariva and Stonewall Hard Snuff, as of December 31, 2012. With this change it will no longer be manufacturing or selling any tobacco products.

Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals has been engaged in the development of other dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products, particularly products that have a botanical- based component and that are designed to provide nutritional support in a range of neurological conditions, including Alzheimer�� disease, Parkinson�� disease, schizophrenia, depression, and Hashimoto�� thyroiditis. Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals also has been involved in the development of a cosmetic line of products that utilizes its anatabine compound to improve the appearance of the skin. On September 10, 2012, the Company introduced Anatabloc Facial Creme into the market. As of November 9, 2012, Anatabloc was being sold through its interactive Website, a customer service center and on a consignment basis through GNC, which is a retailer of dietary supplements. The Company uses its anatabine citrate compound in its dietary supplements Anatabloc and Anatabloc Unflavored and its anatabine-based cosmetic product, Anatabloc Facial Creme.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  To say that Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:STSI) has become one of the market's most contentious stocks lately would be an understatement. Less than two days after shares finally broke above a key line in the sand at $2.11, a fairly scathing piece was posted that (and probably solely intended to do so) knocked STSI back under that key level, deflating any of the newly-developed bullishness surrounding the nutritional supplement company.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  The last time I looked at Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:STSI) was in mid-August, when I pointed out how the stock looked like it was finally beginning a breakout via a move above that nagging ceiling at $2.11. I didn't revisit it in the meantime because STSI peeled back under that key resistance level, and even back under its short-term moving lines. It wasn't a dramatic or painful pullback, but it was more than enough to put the breakout idea on the shelf until further notice.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Consumer goods stocks were underperformers in Tuesday's trading, up on the day by just 0.5% compared to S&P's 1.03 percent gain. Among the consumer goods stocks, shares of Star Scientific (NASDAQ: STSI) were down by more than 1 percent.

Best Food Companies To Buy For 2014: Unilever NV (UNA)

Unilever N.V. (NV) is a supplier of fast moving consumer goods. The two parent companies, NV and Unilever PLC (PLC), together with their group companies, operate as the Unilever Group (Unilever). The Company�� four product areas are Personal Care, Foods, Refreshment and Home Care. The Company's personal care, which includes sales of skincare and haircare products, deodorants and oral care products; foods, which includes sales of soups, bouillons, sauces, snacks, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarines and spreads; refreshment, which includes sales of ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight-management products and nutritionally enhanced staples sold in developing markets and home care, which includes sales of home care products, such as laundry tablets, powders and liquids, soap bars and a range of cleaning products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adi Narayan]

  Unilever (UNA) fell short on its public offer to raise its majority holding in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUVR) to 75 percent, ending up with about a two-thirds stake after some shareholders of the Mumbai-based company opted not to sell.

Best Food Companies To Buy For 2014: Safeway Inc.(SWY)

Safeway Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and drug retailer in North America. The company operates stores that provide an array of grocery items, food, and general merchandise, as well as features specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral, and pharmacy, as well as coffee shops and fuel centers. It also offers SELECT line of products that include baked goods, sparkling ciders and lemonades, salsas, whole bean coffees, frozen pizzas and entrees, and fresh and dry pastas and sauces, as well as an array of ice creams, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts; O ORGANICS line, which comprises milk, chicken, salads, juices, and entrees; Lucerne line of dairy products; Eating Right line of better-for-you products; Bright Green line of home care products; Total Pet Care line of pet foods and pet care products; and Value Red line of value-priced paper goods. As of December 31, 2009, Safeway operated approximately 1,725 stores in California, Oregon, Wash ington, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba/Saskatchewan. In addition, the company owns and operates GroceryWorks.com Operating Company, LLC, an online grocery channel, doing business under the names Safeway.com, Vons.com, and Genuardis.com; and Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., which provides third-party gift cards, prepaid cards, telecom cards, and sports and entertainment cards to North American retailers for sale to retail customers. Additionally, it engages in gift card businesses in the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, and Australia. Further, the company, through a 49% ownership interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V. operates 156 food and general merchandise stores in Western Mexico. The company was formerly known as Safeway Stores, Incorporated and changed its name to Safeway Inc. in February 1990. Safeway was founded in 1915 and is based in Pleasanton, California. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jacob Roche]

  Dollar Tree recently announced record first-quarter earnings, with total sales up 8% and comparable-store sales up 2.1%, crushing the likes of big-box retailers like Safeway (NYSE: SWY  ) and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) , which only reported a change in comparable-store sales of 1.5% and negative 1.2%, respectively.