Core Insights - Campbell's has launched the fourth annual State of the Sides Report, highlighting the importance of side dishes during holiday meals, with a focus on their collaboration with designer Cynthia Rowley and Kit Keenan to introduce the Campbell's Sides Collection [1][2][4] Company Initiatives - The Campbell's Sides Collection features stylish bags designed for carrying and showcasing favorite side dishes, emphasizing the emotional connection people have with food during the holidays [3][4] - For every bag sold, Campbell's will donate 99 cans of soup to Feeding America, reflecting the company's commitment to addressing food insecurity [10] Market Trends - The 2025 State of the Sides Report reveals that 63% of Americans prefer side dishes over turkey at Thanksgiving, an increase from 56% in 2024, and 47% would be satisfied with just side dishes [5] - Green Bean Casserole is considered the most iconic Thanksgiving side by 44% of respondents, while 50% believe Mac & Cheese should be a staple at every holiday table, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials [5] Product Features - The Holiday Tote includes a casserole dish for easy preparation of Campbell's Creamy Double Cheddar Mac & Cheese, while the Party Bag is designed for serving Green Bean Casserole, featuring a waterproof-lined top that can transform into a bottle chiller [6] Research Methodology - The State of the Sides Report is based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. adults who celebrate Thanksgiving, conducted by Reputation Leaders, with a margin of error of +/-1.4% for national results [12] Company Background - The Campbell's Company has been a trusted food brand for over 155 years, generating $10.3 billion in net sales for fiscal 2025 across its Meals & Beverages and Snacks divisions [13]

Group 1 - Timothy Mellon anonymously donated $130 million to fund paychecks for US Armed Forces during a government shutdown [1] - Andrew Mellon, a prominent figure from the Gilded Age, served as US Secretary of the Treasury and founded Union Steel and acquired Gulf Oil [2] - The Hughes family's wealth originates from Public Storage Inc., which owns 9% of the self-storage space in the US as of 2023 [3] Group 2 - The article ranks the 35 richest families in the US based on estimated net worths from Forbes as of February 2024 [4] - Notable families include the Hearsts, Newhouses, Waltons, and Pritzkers, who built wealth through various industries including publishing, retail, and hospitality [5][6] Group 3 - The Rollins family, through Rollins Inc., owns Orkin, the largest pest control corporation in the US, with the family holding about 40% of the company [7][8] - The Chao family, with a net worth of $14.2 billion, founded Westlake Corporation, a leader in petrochemicals, generating $12.1 billion in revenue in 2024 [9][10] Group 4 - The Haslam family, with a net worth of $14.4 billion, built wealth through the Pilot Company, which is now fully owned by Berkshire Hathaway [11] - The Crown family, with a net worth of $14.7 billion, has diverse holdings through Henry Crown & Company, including ski resorts and manufacturing firms [13] Group 5 - The Stryker family, with a net worth of $15.9 billion, owns 11% of Stryker Corporation, which had sales exceeding $20 billion in 2023 [15][16] - The Meijer family operates a grocery store chain with over 500 locations and an estimated annual revenue of $22 billion [18] Group 6 - The Marriott family, with a net worth of $15.9 billion, owns hotel brands like Sheraton and Ritz-Carlton, with the family holding approximately 16% of the company's shares [20][21] - The Johnson family, with a net worth of $16 billion, has ties to Johnson & Johnson, a global pharmaceutical brand [23][24] Group 7 - The Kohler family, with a net worth of $16.2 billion, has transitioned from manufacturing farm tools to bathroom fixtures, generating $9 billion in revenue in 2024 [25] - The Brown family, with a net worth of $16.5 billion, owns Brown-Forman Corp., known for brands like Jack Daniel's [27] Group 8 - The Dorrance family, with a net worth of $17 billion, controls over 50% of Campbell Soup Company, which generates more than $9 billion in annual revenue [29] - The du Pont family, with a net worth of $18.1 billion, has a long-standing fortune from the chemicals giant DuPont, founded in 1802 [30] Group 9 - The Ziff family, with a net worth of $18.5 billion, grew their wealth through Ziff Davis Inc. and investments via Ziff Brothers Investments [32][34] - The Butt family, with a net worth of $18.8 billion, operates H.E. Butt grocery stores, generating over $46 billion in revenue in 2024 [36] Group 10 - The Taylor family, with a net worth of $19 billion, controls Enterprise Mobility, which reported $35 billion in revenue in the 2023 fiscal year [38] - The Smith family, with a net worth of $19.8 billion, has significant holdings in Illinois Tool Works and Northern Trust [42] Group 11 - The Reyes family, with a net worth of $19.9 billion, leads Reyes Holdings, a major food-and-beverage distributor [44] - The Busch family, with a net worth of $20 billion, has historical ties to Anheuser-Busch, which was fully bought out for $52 billion in 2008 [45] Group 12 - The Hearst family, with a net worth of $22.4 billion, controls Hearst Corporation, a major media conglomerate [47] - The Newhouse family, with a net worth of $24.1 billion, derives wealth from Advance Publications, which owns Condé Nast [49] Group 13 - The Hunt family, with a net worth of $24.8 billion, built their fortune through Hunt Oil Company and various real estate investments [50] - The Lauder family, with a net worth of $25.9 billion, operates Estée Lauder, generating over $15 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024 [53] Group 14 - The Cox family, with a net worth of $26.8 billion, has diversified interests in cable, media, and automotive industries, generating about $20 billion in revenue annually [56] - The Duncan family, with a net worth of $30 billion, controls Enterprise Products Partners, which has seen its fortune more than double since 2010 [57] Group 15 - The Cathy family, with a net worth of $33.6 billion, operates Chick-fil-A, which remains family-owned and has seen significant growth [59] - The SC Johnson family, with a net worth of $38.5 billion, produces well-known cleaning products and is led by fifth-generation family members [61] Group 16 - The Pritzker family, with a net worth of $41.6 billion, founded Hyatt Hotels and has been involved in various investments and political activities [63] - The Johnson family, with a net worth of $44.8 billion, controls Fidelity, one of the largest mutual-fund companies, generating over $32 billion in revenue in 2024 [66] Group 17 - The Cargill-MacMillan family, with a net worth of $60.6 billion, owns 88% of Cargill Inc., which generated over $160 billion in revenue in 2024 [68] - The Koch family, with a net worth of $116 billion, expanded their father's oil-refinery firm into a conglomerate generating roughly $125 billion in annual revenue [70] Group 18 - The Mars family, with a net worth of $117 billion, operates Mars Inc., which generated over $50 billion in revenue in 2024 [73] - The Walton family, with a net worth of $267 billion, founded Walmart, which reported $648.1 billion in revenue in 2024, making it the largest retailer globally [75]

Company Overview - The Campbell's Company (CPB) is valued at a market cap of $9.7 billion and is a leading multinational food company known for its soups and packaged food brands, including Campbell's, Prego, V8, Pepperidge Farm, and Snyder's of Hanover [1] Earnings Expectations - Analysts expect Campbell to report adjusted earnings of $0.74 per share for fiscal Q1 2026, reflecting a 16.9% decline from $0.89 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For fiscal 2026, the adjusted EPS is projected to be $2.46, down 17.2% from $2.97 in fiscal 2025, but is expected to rise 8.1% annually to $2.66 in fiscal 2027 [3] Stock Performance - CPB stock has declined 33.3% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which surged 18.4%, and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund, which returned 2.3% [4] Analyst Ratings - Bernstein analyst Alexia Burland Howard reaffirmed a "Buy" rating on Campbell's stock with a price target of $39, citing optimism around steady demand for core brands and cost-control efforts [5] - The overall consensus on Campbell's stock is cautious, with a "Hold" rating. Among 19 analysts, there are two "Strong Buy," 13 "Hold," one "Moderate Sell," and three "Strong Sell" recommendations. The mean price target of $33.83 indicates a potential upside of 7.8% from current market prices [6]

Core Insights - Campbell's Company (CPB) is enhancing its focus on cost control through the expanded PEAK enterprise savings initiative to protect profitability amid ongoing tariff and cost pressures [1] Group 1: PEAK Program Overview - The PEAK program was introduced in September 2024 with an initial savings target of $250 million through fiscal 2028, which was later increased by 50% to $375 million due to stronger-than-expected early results [2][8] - As of the end of fiscal 2025, Campbell's achieved approximately $145 million in savings, primarily from the integration of Sovos Brands and efficiencies in manufacturing and warehousing [2] Group 2: Program Structure and Goals - The PEAK program is structured around four pillars: network optimization, integration synergies, technology and organizational effectiveness, and indirect spend management [3] - The company anticipates mitigating 60% of the tariff burden, which is expected to account for nearly 4% of the cost of products sold in fiscal 2026, through productivity improvements and alternative sourcing [3] Group 3: Future Projections - Campbell's aims to sustain the gains from the PEAK initiative through fiscal 2028, with guidance for fiscal 2026 indicating approximately $70 million in enterprise cost savings and a 5% improvement in cost productivity [4] - These initiatives are expected to strengthen the company's margin structure, providing flexibility for brand support and innovation while navigating a volatile cost environment [6]

Economic Indicators - China's September exports rose by +8.3% year-on-year, exceeding expectations of +6.6% and marking the largest increase in six months [1] - September imports in China increased by +6.4% year-on-year, surpassing expectations of +1.8% and representing the largest rise in 17 months [1] Market Reactions - Stock indexes experienced a sharp rise on Monday, recovering some losses from the previous Friday's plunge, driven by a softening of the Trump administration's rhetoric towards China [5][6] - The S&P 500 Index closed up +1.56%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index rose by +1.29%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index increased by +2.18% [6] Corporate Earnings - More than 22% of S&P 500 companies provided guidance for Q3 earnings that are expected to exceed analysts' expectations, the highest in a year [10] - Q3 profits are projected to rise by +7.2%, the smallest increase in two years, while sales growth is expected to slow to +5.9% from 6.4% in Q2 [10] Sector Performance - Chipmakers and AI infrastructure stocks rallied, with Broadcom's shares jumping over +9% following a multi-year agreement with OpenAI [5][15] - Rare earth stocks surged due to tensions between China and the US, with Critical Metals closing up more than +53% [17] - Mining stocks also increased as gold prices rose more than +3% to an all-time high, benefiting companies like Coeur Mining and Newmont [18] Upcoming Events - The market will focus on trade or tariff news and attempts to reopen the government, with major banks set to release Q3 earnings results [9]

Group 1: CFO Changes - Carrie Anderson is leaving her position as CFO of Campbell's after less than three years, with no immediate details on her future plans [3] - Freshpet has appointed Ivan Garcia as interim CFO, effective October 17 [3] - This year marks the fourth and fifth CFO changes in the US food sector, indicating the most active year since 2022, according to J.P. Morgan analysts [4] Group 2: New CFO Appointment - Todd Cunfer has been appointed as the new CFO of Campbell's, effective October 20, succeeding Carrie Anderson [8] - Cunfer brings over 25 years of finance and operational experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry, primarily in the food sector [5] - Cunfer will receive a base salary of $725,000 per year and a one-time cash payment of $1.2 million for forfeited equity awards [5] Group 3: Company Performance - Campbell's reported $2.3 billion in net sales for its fiscal 2025 fourth quarter, a 1% increase compared to the previous year [7] - Organic net sales decreased by 3% to $2.2 billion, excluding the impact of an additional week in the quarter and divestitures [7]

Core Insights - The Campbell's Company's snacks business ended fiscal 2025 with mixed results, indicating early signs of improvement but still facing challenges, raising concerns about stabilization plans for fiscal 2026 [1][9] Sales Performance - In Q4 of fiscal 2025, reported net sales for the snacks segment increased by 2%, while organic net sales decreased by 2% after adjustments for an extra week and divestitures, reflecting a 5% drop in volume and mix, partially offset by a 2% gain from net pricing [2] Brand Performance - Five out of eight leading snack brands gained market share in Q4, with four brands experiencing dollar consumption growth compared to the previous quarter, driven by innovation such as the Milano White Chocolate limited-edition cookie, which boosted consumption by 27% [3][9] Strategic Initiatives - The company plans to sustain momentum by increasing brand investment, enhancing packaging, and optimizing price-pack structures for multipacks, with a focus on stronger in-market execution and wider distribution for fiscal 2026 [4] Profitability Challenges - The operating margin for the snacks segment decreased by 30 basis points year-over-year to 14.2% in Q4, as increased marketing and selling expenses outweighed gross profit gains [5] Recovery Outlook - The snacks portfolio shows a path toward gradual recovery, with success dependent on execution in innovation speed, retail activation, and disciplined cost control, as the company has seen its shares rise by 1.2% over the past three months compared to a 3.3% decline in the industry [6]

Core Insights - The Campbell's Company has appointed Todd Cunfer as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective October 20, 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience in the food industry [1][2][3] Company Overview - Campbell's Company has been a trusted provider of food and beverages for over 155 years, headquartered in Camden, N.J. since 1869 [4] - The company generated net sales of $10.3 billion in fiscal 2025, operating across two divisions: Meals & Beverages and Snacks [4] Leadership Transition - Todd Cunfer succeeds Carrie Anderson, who is leaving the company for new opportunities [4] - Cunfer will lead various finance functions including controllership, corporate financial planning and analysis, corporate strategy and development, tax, treasury, internal audit, investor relations, transactional services, and financial systems [2][3] Experience and Background - Cunfer previously served as CFO at Freshpet since 2022 and held the same position at Simply Good Foods Company from 2017 to 2022 [3] - He has extensive experience in senior finance roles at The Hershey Company, including Vice President of International Finance and Global Supply Chain Finance [3] Strategic Importance - The appointment of Cunfer is seen as a strategic move to enhance Campbell's ability to navigate a dynamic operating environment and to drive sustainable, profitable growth [2]

Group 1 - The Campbell's Company (NASDAQ:CPB) has a stock yield of just under 5%, which raises questions about its attractiveness as an investment [1] - The company has strong brand recognition with products like Pepperidge Farm, Cape Cod, and V8, but has been facing challenges from market bears for years [1] - Jim Cramer suggests that the high yield may only be justifiable if investors are anticipating a takeover, which has not been a reliable bet so far [1] Group 2 - Campbell's Company manufactures a variety of food products, including soups, broths, sauces, juices, frozen meals, and snacks [2] - Cramer noted that while Campbell's and General Mills both yield nearly 5%, they may not be as strong as competitors like PepsiCo, but they are still in the same league [2] - The current market conditions suggest that while high-flying stocks have peaked, companies with solid dividends like Campbell's may present temporary trading opportunities rather than long-term investments [2]

Group 1: Dividend Stocks Overview - Companies with growing dividends are typically profitable and financially healthy, making them advantageous during economic downturns [1] - Long dividend histories suggest economic moats that help maintain margins and pass along price increases [1] Group 2: Campbell's Company Analysis - Campbell's has seen a significant shift in its sales mix, with core soup sales dropping to 25% from 40% in fiscal 2017, while snacks have increased to 50% from less than 30% [3][9] - Management is focused on improving operating efficiencies and increasing marketing spend, leading to annual organic sales growth [4] - The company plans to unlock an additional $250 million in savings through fiscal 2028, building on $950 million realized in previous years [5][9] - Despite a 20% decline in stock price year to date, Campbell's offers a 4.6% dividend yield, presenting a buying opportunity for investors [6] Group 3: Nike Company Analysis - Nike's stock price has decreased by 25% over the past three years, providing an opportunity for investors to buy into its potential turnaround while enjoying a 2.25% dividend yield [7] - Recent challenges for Nike include a lack of product innovation, softer demand for sportswear, and strained wholesale relationships [8] - The company has a history of maintaining market share and pricing, which could support a medium-term turnaround [8]