ConAgra Foods

Can Conagra weather shifting trends with Pinnacle Foods acquisition?

28 Jun 2018

Conagra Brands finally reached a deal this week to acquire Pinnacle Foods, creating a leading player in the US frozen food category with combined sales of US$11bn. Yet the market reaction was less than positive, with some analysts questioning whether the merger puts too much faith in demand for frozen foods holding up in the longer term and the inherent risk should it not. Simon Harvey takes a look.

What might Pinnacle Foods' new activist investor mean for US group?

20 Apr 2018

Pinnacle Foods has often been touted as a possible acquisition target - and now activist investor Jana Partners has taken a position in the US group that talk will intensify.

Lamb Weston goes it alone - six things to learn

31 Oct 2016

Lamb Weston held an investor day ahead of its imminent spin-off from ConAgra Foods, which will itself become a consumer-facing branded food group Conagra Brands. The move aims to enable a more focused Lamb Weston to deliver strong profit margins thanks to a product mix that is highly complementary and synergistic. But, Lamb Weston management insists, it is also about growth. Here are our key takeaways from the investor event. 

How ConAgra Foods' promotional strategy is changing - and why

3 Oct 2016

ConAgra Foods, the US group set to split in two companies with one focusing on brands, is putting more emphasis "on volume over value" after being "overly reliant on deep discounting", a strategy that had led consumers to associated some of its products with deals, CEO Sean Connolly has said.

Refocused ConAgra Foods posts rise in Q1 profits

29 Sep 2016

ConAgra Foods booked an increase in first-quarter profit today (29 September) as the group prepares to spin-off its Lamb Weston potato business. 

ConAgra acquires Frontera Foods' "gourmet" brands

27 Sep 2016

ConAgra Foods has acquired fellow US group Frontera Foods, including the Frontera, Red Fork and Salpica brands. 

ConAgra eyes efficiency improvements with facility closure 

4 Aug 2016

ConAgra Foods has confirmed plans to close a production facility in St Louis County as part of its drive to improve operational efficiency. 

ConAgra Foods names David Marberger CFO

15 Jul 2016

ConAgra Foods has announced the appointment of a new vice president and chief financial officer.

ConAgra takes next step forward to splitting business

13 Jul 2016

ConAgra Foods today (13 July) took the next step toward plans to spin-off Lamb Weston and form two independent companies with the initial filing of a Form 10 Registration Statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

ConAgra Foods dishes up new USDA-certified organic meals

11 Jul 2016

ConAgra Foods has expanded its Healthy Choice Simply Cafe Steamers line to include four dishes made with organic ingredients certified by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Consumer foods weigh on ConAgra 

30 Jun 2016

Shares in ConAgra Foods slumped in pre-market trade this morning (30 June) as it emerged that the performance of the company's consumer foods unit weighed on its overall result. 

ConAgra's Lamb Weston, Meijer ink Russian JV with Belaya Dacha 

28 Jun 2016

ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston and its European partner Netherlands-based Meijer Frozen Foods have established a joint venture with  Belaya Dacha to serve the Russian market. 

Post Holdings 'held talks with ConAgra Foods over Lamb Weston merger'

22 Jun 2016

Post Holdings reportedly held talks with ConAgra Foods over a possible merger with the Chef Boyardee's potato business, Lamb Weston. 

ConAgra Foods invests in Lamb Weston as demand for fries sizzles

10 Jun 2016

ConAgra Foods has detailed plans to invest US$200m to establish a new French fry processing line at its Lamb Weston facility in Richland in Washington state.

ConAgra Foods removes PHOs from spreads ahead

10 Jun 2016

ConAgra Foods has stopped using partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in the manufacturing of all spreads in the US group's portfolio, which includes the Fleischmann's, Blue Bonnet and Parkay lines.

Focused ConAgra Foods sells JM Swank ingredients unit

10 Jun 2016

ConAgra Foods has announced its intention to sell its national food ingredient sourcing and distribution company JM Swank, the US group's latest move to dispose an asset to focus on its consumer-facing business.

ConAgra Foods CFO John Gehring to step down

24 May 2016

John Gehring, the CFO of ConAgra Foods, is to leave the US group, the Chef Boyardee and Alexia owner announced today (24 May).

ConAgra focusing on core with Spicetec sale to Givaudan

24 May 2016

ConAgra Foods said it is increasing the resources it can place behind its core business through the sale of its Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings unit. 

TreeHouse swings to loss on acquisition costs

5 May 2016

TreeHouse Foods reported a first-quarter loss as costs associated with its acquisition of the ConAgra Foods private brands business weighed on profitability. 

ConAgra sells two bakeries to Alpha Baking 

28 Apr 2016

ConAgra Foods has struck a deal to sell two bakeries to US bread maker Alpha Baking. 

ConAgra Foods Q3 "beat expectations" - CEO Sean Connolly

7 Apr 2016

ConAgra Foods today (7 April) reported third-quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates and, according to the US group's CEO, its own expectations after a focus on price and mix, as well as driving efficiency, improved the Banquet maker's profitability.

TreeHouse Foods to increase natural, organic production following ConAgra deal

29 Mar 2016

TreeHouse Foods has confirmed it is bumping up the number of natural and organic food items it produces and plans to sell them through the acquired ConAgra Foods private-label unit.

ConAgra sets July date to roll out GMO labelling in US

23 Mar 2016

ConAgra Foods has become the latest company to announce it will introduce labelling for products containing genetically modified ingredients in the US.

Kellogg to start GM labelling in the US in April

23 Mar 2016

Kellogg will start labelling products on sale in the US that contain genetically modified ingredients as of next month.

ConAgra Foods 'mulling Spicetec sale'

21 Mar 2016

ConAgra Foods is purportedly considering putting Spicetec Flavors and Seasonings (SFS) up for sale. 

ConAgra Foods to expand Lamb Weston plant in US

14 Mar 2016

ConAgra Foods is expanding operations at a Lamb Weston factory in the US, amid growing demand for products like hash brown patties and potato puffs.

ConAgra to close tomato products plant in California

3 Feb 2016

ConAgra Foods is to shut a plant making tomato products in Helm in central California.

How concerned are US consumers about cage-free eggs?

28 Jan 2016

In recent months, a series of major companies in the US have announced they will switch to cage-free eggs - but how interested are consumers? Ben Cooper reports.

Food industry quotes of the week - Unilever on 2016, Scotland eyes sugar tax, MEPs on sugary baby food

22 Jan 2016

This week, Unilever was the first of the food majors to reports its results for 2015 - and its comments about the year ahead caught the eye. Sugar remained firmly in the headlines with Food Standards Scotland warning a sugar tax could be considered as the nation continues to face rising obesity and the European Parliament voting against a move from Brussels to allow baby foods to contain sugar far above WHO recommendations. Elsewhere, on our M&A pages, Emmi took full control of German organic milk processor Glaserne Molkerei and US private-equity firm Highlander Partners acquired invested in Polish meat firm QFG. Click on the links for more.

ConAgra targets cage-free eggs by 2025

19 Jan 2016

ConAgra Foods aims to source 100% of US eggs from cage-free producers by 2025.