This story was originally published on CIO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CIO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief:  Unilever plans to migrate its data and cloud platform to Google Cloud as part of a five-year partnership that will allow the company to use tools such as Vertex AI — Google Cloud’s enterprise AI platform — to build an AI-first technology foundation, the two companies announced Tuesday.  The consumer goods provider will integrate its enterprise apps and data pl ...

We make cooking, serving, clean-up and storage simpler and easier, providing people a little more time for the things that matter Advanced our 2025 Priorities Q4 2025 Earnings Call February 4, 2026 Safe Harbor This presentation contains statements reflecting our views about our future performance that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-loo ...

Core Viewpoint - Kraft Heinz has appointed Steve Cahillane, the former CEO of Kellogg, as its new CEO to lead the company's planned split [1] Group 1 - The appointment of Steve Cahillane is aimed at facilitating the strategic separation of Kraft Heinz's business units [1]

Core Insights - Kraft Heinz has appointed Steve Cahillane as its new CEO, which is a significant leadership change for the company [1] - This transition comes ahead of Kraft Heinz's plan to split into two independent public entities, indicating a strategic shift in its business model [1] Company Summary - The appointment of Steve Cahillane reflects the company's efforts to strengthen its leadership as it prepares for a major structural change [1] - The split into two independent entities suggests a focus on enhancing operational efficiency and potentially unlocking shareholder value [1]

Market Overview - The stock market has experienced volatility over the past month, influenced by concerns regarding AI-related stock valuations and speculation about the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions [1] - The Federal Reserve implemented a 25-basis-point interest rate cut after its final policy meeting of the year, impacting market sentiment [1] Top Performing Stocks - **GE Vernova**: Increased by 26.2% following a positive investor day, with long-term revenue guidance raised to $52 billion for fiscal 2028, up from $45 billion [1] - **Broadcom**: Rose by 19.5%, driven by positive developments in its custom chip business, particularly related to Meta Platforms' interest in Google's specialized chips [1] - **Corning**: Gained 16.5%, benefiting from renewed interest in AI-related stocks, particularly due to the rollout of Google's new Gemini 3 model [1] Underperforming Stocks - **Palo Alto Networks**: Decreased by 7% after a quarterly earnings report that, despite beating expectations, did not meet market forecasts, compounded by a $3.5 billion acquisition announcement [1] - **Linde**: Fell by 5.9%, continuing a trend of underperformance in 2023, with year-to-date losses of 1.7% compared to the S&P 500's 17.3% gain [1] - **Procter & Gamble**: Declined by 4.9% following negative commentary from the CFO regarding a volatile U.S. market and significant sales declines in October [1]

Core Insights - Famed investor Jim Cramer is highlighting opportunities in the packaged goods sector, suggesting that investors should reconsider stocks in this area that have been beaten down [1] Group 1: Market Commentary - Jim Cramer emphasizes that the current market conditions present a unique opportunity for investors to explore undervalued packaged goods stocks [1]

Core Viewpoint - The bull market is expected to continue as companies are anticipated to report better-than-expected earnings, driving stock prices higher [1]. Group 1: Earnings Expectations - Cleveland Cliffs will provide insights into the health of the real economy on Monday, followed by Zions Bancorporation, which recently disclosed bad loans [1]. - Positive earnings are expected from GE Aerospace and Coca-Cola on Tuesday, with 3M and Danaher also predicted to report strong results [2]. - Capital One is anticipated to follow American Express' successful quarter, especially after its acquisition of Discover [3]. Group 2: Sector-Specific Insights - Data center builder Vertiv is likely to deliver excellent earnings, while GE Vernova may experience a multi-year growth period [3]. - IBM is expected to demonstrate growth, countering bearish sentiments, with a strong focus on quantum computing [3]. - Blackstone's data center business is projected to contribute to a particularly strong quarter [3]. Group 3: Market Reactions - T-Mobile is seeing increased bullish sentiment following record iPhone sales, with expectations for stock performance to improve [4]. - Procter & Gamble is believed to have reached a bottom after facing significant challenges, with earnings to be reported on Friday [4].

Core Viewpoint - The company experienced short-term moderation in sales during the September quarter due to consumers deferring purchases in anticipation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) price cuts [1][7]. Group 1: Sales Performance - The moderation in sales was attributed to consumers waiting for GST-linked price reductions and distributors focusing on liquidating existing higher-priced inventory [1]. - Despite the short-term sales moderation, the company expects revenue growth in the mid-single digits and operating profit growth to align with revenue growth [1]. - Brands not affected by GST cuts, such as honey and Anmol Coconut Oil, performed well, allowing the company to maintain market share gains in over 90% of its portfolio [2][5]. Group 2: Impact of GST - Key categories like oral care, juices, hair oils, shampoo, and others, which represent approximately 60% of the company's India business, will benefit from the GST rate cut to 5% [5]. - Currently, 85% of the company's portfolio is under the 5% GST rate, which is viewed as a significant positive development [5]. - The GST reforms have resulted in daily essentials, including soaps and shampoos, now attracting a 5% GST [6]. Group 3: External Factors - The beverage portfolio was negatively impacted by higher-than-expected rainfall and floods in July and August, affecting products like Real fruit juices and coconut water [5]. - Hindustan Unilever (HUL) also reported a short-term impact on sales due to GST reforms, with expectations of near-flat to low single-digit growth for the quarter [7].

Company Overview - Kellanova (K) is a global snacking and food company formed in October 2023, valued at $27.6 billion by market cap, following the split from the Kellogg Company [1] - The company retains well-known brands such as Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Special K, and MorningStar Farms, and is headquartered in Chicago, operating in over 180 countries [1][2] Market Position - Kellanova is classified as a "large-cap stock" with a market cap exceeding $10 billion, highlighting its size, influence, and dominance in the packaged goods industry [2] - The company benefits from strong market presence and consumer loyalty due to its established brands, along with global diversification from manufacturing in 20 countries [2] Stock Performance - Kellanova's stock currently trades 5.5% below its 52-week high of $83.22, achieved on March 4, and has declined 2% over the past three months, underperforming the Nasdaq Composite's 14% rise [3] - Year-to-date, Kellanova shares have dipped 2.9%, lagging behind the Nasdaq's YTD gains of 15.3%, and have decreased 2.5% over the past 52 weeks compared to the Nasdaq's 26.3% returns [4] Financial Results - Kellanova reported mixed Q2 results on July 31, with overall revenues pressured by soft industry demand, but a 0.3% year-over-year increase in sales to $3.2 billion, narrowly beating expectations [5] - Adjusted operating income fell 5% to $477 million, and adjusted EPS declined 6.9% to $0.94, falling below consensus estimates [5]

Core Insights - Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) reported second-quarter 2025 results that exceeded Zacks Consensus Estimates for both revenue and earnings, although both metrics declined compared to the previous year [1][2] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $1.92, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.68, but reflecting a 2% year-over-year decline due to reduced adjusted operating profit and net income from equity companies [3] - Total sales amounted to $4,163 million, a 1.6% decrease from $4,231 million in the prior-year quarter, yet beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,057 million [4] - Organic sales grew by 3.9%, driven by a 5% increase in volume, partially offset by a 1.2% impact from strategic pricing investments [5] Margin and Profitability - Adjusted gross margin was 36.9%, down 180 basis points year-over-year, primarily due to unfavorable pricing net of cost inflation and planned investments [6] - Adjusted operating profit fell 2.2% to $713 million, attributed to lower gross profit, although partially offset by reductions in marketing and general expenses [7] Segment Performance - North America segment net sales were $2,730 million, down 1.9% year-over-year, with organic sales increasing by 4.3% driven by a 5.2% volume increase [9] - International Personal Care segment net sales reached $1,433 million, up 0.4%, with organic sales growth of 3.3% supported by strong volume growth of 4.8% [11][12] Financial Health - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $634 million, long-term debt of $6,470 million, and total stockholders' equity of $1,403 million [13] - For the first half of the year, cash provided by operations was $1,097 million, with capital spending of $401 million and $944 million returned to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks [13] Future Outlook - Kimberly-Clark raised its guidance for 2025, expecting organic sales growth to outpace market averages, despite anticipated negative impacts from currency translation and divestitures [15][16] - Adjusted EPS is projected to grow at a low-to-mid single-digit rate on a constant-currency basis, reflecting various headwinds including divestitures and currency translation [17][18]