B&G Foods, Inc. manufactures, sells, and distributes a portfolio of shelf-stable and frozen foods, and household products in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company's products include frozen and canned vegetables, vegetables, canola and other cooking oils, vegetable shortening, cooking sprays, oatmeal and other hot cereals, fruit spreads, canned meats and beans, bagel chips, spices, seasonings, hot sauces, wine vinegar, maple syrups, molasses, salad dressings, pizza crusts, Mexican-style sauces, dry soups, taco shells and kits, salsas, pickles, peppers, tomato-based products, crackers, baking powder and soda, corn starch, nut clusters, and other specialty products. It markets its products under various brands, including Ac'cent, B&G, B&M, Baker's Joy, Bear Creek Country Kitchens, Brer Rabbit, Canoleo, Cary's, Clabber Girl, Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat, Crisco, Dash, Davis, Devonsheer, Don Pepino, Durkee, Grandma's Molasses, Green Giant, Joan of Arc, Las Palmas, Le Sueur, MacDonald's, Mama Mary's, Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, McCann's, Molly McButter, New York Flatbreads, New York Style, Old London, Ortega, Polaner, Red Devil, Regina, Rumford, Sa-són, Sclafani, Spice Islands, Spring Tree, Sugar Twin, Tone's, Trappey's, TrueNorth, Underwood, Vermont Maid, Victoria, Weber, and Wright's. The company also sells, markets, and distributes household products under the Static Guard brand. It sells and distributes its products directly, as well as through a network of independent brokers and distributors to supermarket chains, foodservice outlets, mass merchants, warehouse clubs, non-food outlets, and specialty distributors. The company was formerly known as B&G Foods Holdings Corp. and changed its name to B&G Foods, Inc. in October 2004. B&G Foods, Inc. was founded in 1822 and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey.

B&G Foods, Inc.

(RTTNews) - B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS) has sold its Le Sueur brand—known for premium canned peas, green beans, and carrots, to McCall Farms, Inc., as part of its strategy to streamline its portfolio and reduce long-term debt.
CEO Casey Keller said the divestiture supports the company's focus on core brands and financial health, adding that Le Sueur performed well under B&G and is expected to continue thriving with McCall Farms.
Proceeds from the sale will be used for corporate purposes, including debt repayment, asset acquisitions, and transaction-related costs. The deal excludes rights to the Le Sieur brand in Canada. Financial advisors for B&G Foods included Barclays Capital Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Friday, BGS closed at $4.14, up 0.98%, and is currently trading at $4.16 in after-hours, up 0.48% on the NYSE.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

B&G Foods Sells Le Sueur Brand To McCall Farms To Refocus Portfolio And Cut Debt

B&G Foods, Inc. BGS posted first-quarter fiscal 2025 results, wherein both top and bottom lines missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Both net sales and earnings declined year over year.
B&G Foods faced a challenging start to the first quarter of fiscal 2025, impacted by retailer inventory reductions and the timing shift of Easter into the fiscal second quarter. However, the company has seen signs of improving sales trends in recent months. Management remains focused on stabilizing core sales, reshaping the portfolio for growth and margin expansion, accelerating cost savings and reducing leverage to enable future strategic acquisitions.
B&G Foods’ Quarterly Performance: Key Metrics and Insights
B&G Foods posted adjusted earnings of 4 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 14 cents. Also, the bottom line slumped 77.8% from 18 cents reported in the prior-year quarter. (Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.)
B&G Foods, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
B&G Foods, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | B&G Foods, Inc. Quote
Net sales declined 10.5% year over year to $425.4 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $461 million. The decrease was caused by lower volumes, reduced net pricing and unfavorable product mix, as well as the negative impact of foreign currency exchange.
Base business net sales fell 10.5% to $425.4 million, primarily due to a volume decline of $42.4 million (8.9%), a $5.5 million (1.2%) reduction from net pricing and product mix, and a $2 million loss from unfavorable foreign currency effects.
The adjusted gross profit of $90.6 million decreased from $109.9 million in the year-ago period. The adjusted gross margin contracted 180 basis points (bps) to 21.3%.
SG&A expenses increased 1.1% to $49.1 million, due to $4.2 million in acquisition, divestiture-related, and other non-recurring costs, along with a $0.5 million rise in general and administrative expenses. These increases were partially offset by a $3.3 million decrease in consumer marketing expenses and a $0.9 million reduction in selling expenses. As a percentage of net sales, SG&A expenses increased 1.4 percentage points to 11.6%.
Adjusted EBITDA fell 21.2% to $59.1 million, largely reflecting lower net sales during the quarter and increased costs and investments in the Green Giant U.S. business. The adjusted EBITDA margin contracted 190 bps to 13.9%.
Decoding B&G Foods’ Segmental Performance
Specialty: Net sales were $134.4 million, down 13.1% year over year. The decline was due to lower net pricing and decreased volumes.
Meals: Net sales of $106.1 million dipped 11.6% year over year due to lower volumes and a decrease in net pricing and product mix.
Frozen & Vegetables: Net sales were $93.1 million, down 11.2% year over year. The downtick was due to lower net pricing and product mix, along with a decline in volume.
Spices & Flavor Solutions: Net sales were $91.7 million, down 4% year over year due to a decline in volumes.
B&G Foods’ Financial Health Snapshot
B&G Foods exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $61.2 million, net long-term debt of $2000 million and total shareholders’ equity of $513.1 million. In the fiscal first quarter ended March 29, 2025, net cash provided by operating activities was $52.7 million.
Sneak Peek Into BGS’ Outlook
For fiscal 2025, management now expects net sales in the range of $1.860 billion to $1.910 billion compared with the prior guidance of $1.890 billion to $1.950 billion. In fiscal 2024, net sales amounted to $1,932.5 million (nearly $1.93 billion).
Adjusted EBITDA is now projected to be between $280 million and $290 million, lower than the previous outlook of $290 million to $300 million and down from $295.4 million reported in fiscal 2024.
The company also revised its adjusted earnings per share (EPS) guidance for fiscal 2025 to a range of 55-65 cents, down from the earlier estimate of 65-75 cents. This compares with adjusted EPS of 70 cents in fiscal 2024.
This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has lost 16% in the past three months against the industry’s growth of 0.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Three Solid Bets
United Natural Foods, Inc. UNFI distributes natural, organic, specialty, produce and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. At present, United Natural carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The consensus estimate for United Natural’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 1.9% and 485.7%, respectively, from the year-ago figures. UNFI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 408.7%, on average.
Mondelez International, Inc. MDLZ manufactures, markets and sells snack food and beverage products in Latin America, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. MDLZ delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.8%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mondelez International’s current financial-year sales indicates growth of 4.9% from the year-ago numbers.
BRF S.A. BRFS raises, produces and slaughters poultry and pork for processing, production and sale of fresh meat, processed products, pasta, margarine, pet food and other products. It currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. BRFS delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.6%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BRF S.A.'s current fiscal-year sales indicates growth of 0.3% from the prior-year levels.
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B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

BGS Q1 Earnings & Sales Miss Estimates Due to Weak Volumes & Pricing

In trading on Wednesday, consumer services shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 4.5%. Helping drag down the group were shares of Vestis, off about 37.5% and shares of WW International down about 36.3% on the day.
Also lagging the market Wednesday are food shares, down on the day by about 2.5% as a group, led down by Hain Celestial Group, trading lower by about 49.3% and B&G Foods, trading lower by about 27.2%.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Wednesday Sector Laggards: Consumer Services, Food Stocks

Let's talk about consumer staples dividends today. If we're heading for a slowdown then we need to be picky about our payouts. When the economy slows, discretionary spending is often punted but staples continue to be bought.
Today we'll discuss five dividends between 4.2% and 10.7%. These "must have" products can provide our portfolios with important recession-resistant qualities.
Year-to-date staples have been flat and, in this market, that is great. Their sideways action has lapped the over-owned S&P 500 this year:
Consumer Staples: Doing Exactly What We Expect Them to Do
Consumer staples stocks tend to have more stable operations that result in more stable share performance in turbulent markets. And they also have predictable profits that allow them to pay out better-than-average dividends.
But there are exceptions. Perpetually too-popular staples like Costco (COST) and Walmart (WMT) deliver sub-1% yields. This also drags down the yields of staples-focused funds.
This is why we cherry pick our payouts, as always. Let's get into these five which yield up to 10.7%.
Tobacco Stocks
Smokers are going to keep smoking, which is why these two tobacco companies have delivered double-digit gains (against the market's 15% decline!) since Feb. 19:
Altria (MO, 6.9% yield) is best-known for its Philip Morris USA segment, which produces Marlboro cigarettes and is by far and away the company's top revenue driver. But the company is putting increasing focus on its smokeless products, which include Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco, On! Oral nicotine pouches, NJOY e-vapor products and--through a joint venture with JT Group called Horizon Innovations--heated tobacco products.
Altria has been battling volume declines in cigarettes for years, and it has suffered a few self-inflicted wounds, such as its ill-fated stake in Juul Labs. However, higher prices on cigarettes, as well as growth in its smokeless products, have helped keep earnings and its high dividend on the rise, and both are expected to continue their (admittedly slow) growth in 2025.
As Long as Altria Can Charge More, Investors Will Buy More
Ever since the market started sliding in February, investors have been snapping up MO shares to get some of that stability. But Altria is getting expensive--yes, a forward P/E of 11 doesn't scream "overbought," but it's noticeably higher than the 8x-9x valuation it has typically carried over the past few years.
British American Tobacco (BTI, 7.5% yield) owns a number of well-known cigarette brands, including Camel, American Spirit and Newport. But it too deals in smokeless tobacco, including Grizzly dipping tobacco, Glo heated tobacco, VELO nicotine pouches, and Vuse vapes. In late 2023, BTI announced it would take a massive noncash writedown--which a few months later would become official, at $34.5 billion--on the value of its American cigarette brands. The stock bottomed in late 2024 and has been recovering ever since, including a roughly 10% gain since the February market top.
Despite the writedown, BTI's top and bottom lines have been generally stable if not improving for years. But the company doesn't expect sustainable growth until at least 2026, when management believes it will get more support from its smokeless portfolio. Fortunately, the company still keeps finding enough change under the couch to improve its dividend, which it has done in 26 of the past 27 years. A 7%-plus yield is stellar. A forward P/E of 9 not so much once we realize that's at the high end of its multiyear range.
Groceries
Let's move on to more traditional consumer staples businesses--but not traditional consumer staples names. The sector's blue chips tend to be overcrowded, which is a recipe for limited yields. Instead, I prefer stocks that live outside of the spotlight but offer good to great levels of income.
SpartanNash (SPTN, 4.2% yield) is a company that we've previously discussed as a "grocer-plus." It operates nearly 200 grocery stores in 10 states across numerous brands, including Family Fresh Market, Metcalfe's Market and Supermercado Nuestra Familia. But its other, larger segment is a wholesale distribution business that services roughly 2,300 independent grocers across the U.S. The company is several years into a turnaround plan that has helped to rejuvenate the top and bottom lines, but the stock's performance hasn't matched.
As we said back in 2020, "a look at the past 10 years is probably a decent indication of what the next 10 will broadly look like."
A Strong 2025 Aside, That Has Unfortunately Been the Case
SPTN boasts a decent 4%-plus yield that dwarfs most other grocers, it has raised its distribution for 15 consecutive years, and it pays out just less than half its earnings, so the dividend should have more upside. It's hard to say the same about the stock price. Management did recently express interest in expanding its Hispanic grocery and convenience store presence, but its plans are in their infancy.
BGS Foods (BGS, 10.7% yield) is the name behind brands such as Crisco, Cream of Wheat, Ortega and Bear Creek. Its double-digit yield is largely the product of a slumping stock, with shares off by more than 70% over the past few years amid slumping top and bottom lines.
Its 10% return since the market top is something of a small miracle considering its continued operational woes. In late February, B&G reported it was booking charges of $320 million related to "intangible trademark assets" on its Green Giant, Victoria, Static Guard and McCann's brands. BGS also kept its dividend at 19 cents per share, but it's an open question as to how long B&G can keep it up. The dividend annualizes to 78 cents per share. The pros expect adjusted profits of 68 cents this year and 73 cents in 2026. Something has to give.
FEMSA (FMX, 7.0% yield)--the merciful shorthand for Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V.--isn't a familiar name, but it's awfully interesting. FEMSA operates a huge chain of small-box retail stores, called Oxxo, in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil. It uses the same brand for auto service stations in Mexico. It also operates drugstores under several names in Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. And it owns nearly half of Coca-Cola FEMSA (KOF), the world's largest bottler of Coca-Cola (KO) by volume.
FEMSA isn't automatically a great defensive play, then, if our worry is the U.S. economy. We have to keep our eyes on Mexico to determine FMX's real utility. But there's a lot to like here. It has a dominant position in Latin America. Top- and bottom-line growth hasn't been pristine, but it's better than many other staples names. Estimates are for 26% profit growth this year, then another 12% in 2026. The dividend itself is generous--FEMSA has become increasingly aggressive about returning capital, and it plans on paying four quarterly ordinary dividends as well as four "extraordinary" dividends, coming out to a yield of about 7%.
A Step Change in FEMSA's Dividend Policy
But while FMX has been plenty fruitful, it has also been more volatile than the average staples stock, and it's also richly priced at 20 times earnings estimates.
My 2025 Dividend Plan: Buy the Best Yields of 2035!
One of FEMSA's best qualities--its dividend growth--is the lynchpin of my dividend strategy this year.
My 2025 investment plan is to buy "Dividend Magnets"--stocks that boast some of Wall Street's fastest-growing dividends, which in turn attract more investors and "pull" prices higher, providing us with the potential for a wicked 1-2 punch of total returns.
This "stealth" stock-picking strategy has uncovered returns of 61%, 112%, even 148% ... from stocks that have been hiding in plain sight!
In fact, one of my favorite Dividend Magnets is a blue-chip Dow component!
I'm currently zeroed in on 5 stocks I see as the next Dividend Magnet winners. They're my top picks for the fastest-growing payouts--and share prices--through 2025 and beyond.
And I'm going to share them with you right now. Simply click right here and I'll tell you more about these 5 "Dividend Magnet" winners, and give you access to a free Special Report revealing their names and tickers.
Also see:
Warren Buffett Dividend Stocks
Dividend Growth Stocks: 25 Aristocrats
Future Dividend Aristocrats: Close Contenders
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Earn Stacks With Snacks: 5 Staples Stocks Yielding up to 10.7%

Making its debut on 03/11/2013, smart beta exchange traded fund Global X SuperDividend U.S. ETF (DIV) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta.
Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.
The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Global X Management. It has amassed assets over $653.75 million, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - All Cap Value. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the INDXX SuperDividend U.S. Low Volatility Index.
The INDXX SuperDividend U.S. Low Volatility Index tracks the performance of 50 equally weighted common stocks, MLPs & REITs that rank among the highest dividend yielding equity securities in the US.
Cost & Other Expenses
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.45% for DIV, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 5.50%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
DIV's heaviest allocation is in the Energy sector, which is about 20% of the portfolio. Its Financials and Real Estate round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, B&g Foods Inc (BGS) accounts for about 2.27% of the fund's total assets, followed by Avista Corp (AVA) and Altria Group Inc (MO).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 21.56% of DIV's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF has added about 5.82% and was up about 17.65% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 03/18/2025), respectively. DIV has traded between $16.53 and $19.32 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.04 and standard deviation of 14.26% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 52 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Global X SuperDividend U.S. ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - All Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Global X SuperDividend ETF (SDIV) tracks Solactive Global SuperDividend Index and the Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF (CGDG) tracks ----------------------------------------. Global X SuperDividend ETF has $801.69 million in assets, Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF has $1.80 billion. SDIV has an expense ratio of 0.58% and CGDG charges 0.47%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - All Cap Value.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Global X SuperDividend U.S. ETF (DIV): ETF Research Reports
Altria Group, Inc. (MO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Avista Corporation (AVA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Global X SuperDividend ETF (SDIV): ETF Research Reports
Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF (CGDG): ETF Research Reports
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Is Global X SuperDividend U.S. ETF (DIV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

The Nasdaq Composite's (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) drop into correction territory got investors worried. The S&P 500's (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) fall to correction levels this week seems to have confirmed their concerns. Under such conditions, what is an investor to do?
Many will move money into sectors they view to be less risky, such as consumer staples. However, while there are good reasons to see consumer staples companies as defensive picks, not all such stocks are worth buying. Here are three you should probably avoid now, including one with a tempting 10% dividend yield.
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Why consumer staples are considered safe investments
Consumer staples makers sell things people buy regularly because they are, almost by definition, necessities. In most cases, these products are also fairly cheap relative to their benefits. You may put off buying a new car when the economy gets rough, but you probably won't cut back too far on food, beverages, or toiletries.
XLP data by YCharts.
As the chart above shows, over the past month, the average consumer staples stock has fallen far less than the S&P 500 index or the Nasdaq Composite. No stock is entirely safe from declines, but a minor dip certainly feels better than losing 10% or more of the value of your portfolio in a market correction. And underneath that average are individual companies, some of which naturally performed better than average. PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), for example, is up 2.6% over the past month, in contrast to the average consumer staples stock, which is down 2.6%. That's a more than 5 percentage point outperformance.
XLP data by YCharts.
PepsiCo's gains were probably tied to the fact that it has been out of favor and had some ground to make up relative to its consumer staples peers. But it is still performing reasonably well as a business. In 2024, the company's organic sales rose 2% and its adjusted earnings jumped 9%. That's not as good as the results from just a few years ago, when inflation allowed the company to push large price hikes onto its customers, but it is hardly an indication that PepsiCo has suddenly lost its way.
Three consumer staples stocks that aren't worth buying
If you are looking for safe haven stock investments now, PepsiCo, with its historically high 3.6% dividend yield, is probably worth considering. But food makers Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC), Conagra Foods (NYSE: CAG), and B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS) are three you might want to avoid.
The story behind Kraft Heinz is fairly simple. It is attempting to refocus its business around its most important brands. But its sales in its "accelerate" segment (which features its best known and most important brands) decelerated at an increasing rate as 2024 progressed. In the first quarter, organic sales for those brands rose 0.5%. Then it was all downhill, with drops of 2.4% in the second quarter, 4.5% in the third, and 5.2% in the fourth. Kraft Heinz is clearly struggling. As such, it's not a safe place to hide from market turbulence even though the dividend yield is 5.3% and the stock has been on the rise.
KHC data by YCharts.
Conagra's story is similar, but there's a nuance. In the second quarter of its fiscal 2025, the company's organic sales rose 0.3%. However, its adjusted earnings fell 1.3%, partly thanks to restructuring costs and write-downs of certain brands. That last part is the key to the story because Conagra's portfolio is basically filled with second-tier food brands. Given its middling-at-best performance, why would you want to invest in second-tier brands when you could buy companies with industry-leading brands? Sure, Conagra's dividend yields 5.4% at the current share price, and that share price has been moving higher, but there are better-positioned consumer staples companies that would likely provide investors with more safety.
The big story for investors when it comes to B&G Foods is its huge 10%-plus dividend yield. That alone is about the same as the total annualized returns investors have come to expect from the broader market over time. But don't get suckered in. Even if management holds the dividend payout steady (and it cut it by more than 50% in 2022), B&G Foods' entire business model is risky. The company has long focused on buying unloved and neglected brands, then investing in them to turn them around. That's not a bad strategy, and it has had some notable successes. But its acquisition-driven business model has led to a heavy debt load that the company is having trouble carrying. Sure, the yield is high, but B&G Foods is not a safe haven investment.
Don't jump first and ask questions later
The problem right now is that scared traders appear to be acting rashly, buying high-yield consumer staples stocks without paying close enough attention to the underlying businesses. That's not a great plan. There are well-run companies to be found out there -- companies like PepsiCo -- with industry-leading businesses, that offer value, yield, and relative safety amid this market correction.
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Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in PepsiCo. The Motley Fool recommends Kraft Heinz. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why You Should Stay Away From These 3 Stocks Even as They Rally During the Market's Swoon

In trading on Friday, food shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 3.5%. Leading the group were shares of Hain Celestial Group, up about 16.3% and shares of B&G Foods up about 11.5% on the day.
Also showing relative strength are agriculture & farm products shares, up on the day by about 1.9% as a group, led by Cresud, trading up by about 3.4% and Village Farms International, trading up by about 1.7% on Friday.
VIDEO: Friday Sector Leaders: Food, Agriculture & Farm Products
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Friday Sector Leaders: Food, Agriculture & Farm Products

B&G Foods (BGS) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.31 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. This compares to earnings of $0.30 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
A quarter ago, it was expected that this food producer would post earnings of $0.20 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.13, delivering a surprise of -35%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has not been able to surpass consensus EPS estimates.
B&G Foods, which belongs to the Zacks Food - Miscellaneous industry, posted revenues of $551.57 million for the quarter ended December 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.90%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $578.13 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
B&G Foods shares have lost about 2.2% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 1.7%.
What's Next for B&G Foods?
While B&G Foods has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for B&G Foods: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.17 on $472.8 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.67 on $1.92 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Food - Miscellaneous is currently in the bottom 30% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Campbell's (CPB), has yet to report results for the quarter ended January 2025. The results are expected to be released on March 5.
This maker of canned soup, Pepperidge Farm cookies and V8 juice is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.73 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -8.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Campbell's' revenues are expected to be $2.74 billion, up 11.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Should You Invest in B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS)?
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B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

B&G Foods (BGS) Q4 Earnings Match Estimates

B&G FOODS ($BGS) is expected to release its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th after market close, per Finnhub. Analysts are expecting revenue of $553,379,000 and earnings of $0.31 per share.
You can see Quiver Quantitative's $BGS stock page to track data on insider trading, hedge fund activity, congressional trading, and more.
B&G FOODS Insider Trading Activity
B&G FOODS insiders have traded $BGS stock on the open market 5 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 4 have been purchases and 1 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $BGS stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
STEPHEN SHERRILL purchased 70,000 shares for an estimated $464,296
JORDAN E GREENBERG (EVP & PRES OF SPICES & FLAVOR) sold 8,000 shares for an estimated $66,637
SCOTT E LERNER (EVP & GENERAL COUNSEL) purchased 7,611 shares for an estimated $49,998
ANDREW D VOGEL (EVP, PRESIDENT OF MEALS) purchased 7,500 shares for an estimated $47,700
ERIC H HART (EVP OF HUMAN RESOURCES & CHRO) purchased 5,000 shares for an estimated $31,238
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
B&G FOODS Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 115 institutional investors add shares of B&G FOODS stock to their portfolio, and 145 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
VANGUARD GROUP INC removed 1,680,994 shares (-17.5%) from their portfolio in Q4 2024, for an estimated $11,582,048
HOTCHKIS & WILEY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC removed 989,270 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q3 2024, for an estimated $8,784,717
UBS GROUP AG added 872,539 shares (+247.4%) to their portfolio in Q4 2024, for an estimated $6,011,793
VERITION FUND MANAGEMENT LLC added 773,950 shares (+204.0%) to their portfolio in Q4 2024, for an estimated $5,332,515
DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP added 744,898 shares (+28.6%) to their portfolio in Q4 2024, for an estimated $5,132,347
GILMAN HILL ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 636,506 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q4 2024, for an estimated $4,385,526
CITADEL ADVISORS LLC added 495,432 shares (+1220.0%) to their portfolio in Q4 2024, for an estimated $3,413,526
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information. Note that there may be inaccuracies due to mistakes in ticker-mapping, and other anomalies.
This article was originally published on Quiver News, read the full story.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

B&G FOODS Earnings Preview: Recent $BGS Insider Trading, Hedge Fund Activity, and More

Stocks are climbing a wall of worry, which is a hallmark of bull markets. Higher equity prices really do require fear!
Today we'll highlight the least-liked stocks on Wall Street. Why? Because each analyst has nothing to do but upgrade these plays from here. As always, we'll focus on big dividends--I'm talking about yields starting at 6% and going all the way up to 24%.
Let's recap our profitable sources of fear. First, the broader market per one of our preferred "vanilla gauges":
Source: CNN Fear & Greed Index
While retail investors are fearful, analysts at large are quite bullish. At least on paper.
Professional stock analysts are optimistic by default. They know exactly who butters their bread, so it's hard to make a living by unabashedly slamming most of their coverage universe.
How optimistic are we talking? As I write this, nearly 400 of the S&P 500's companies have consensus Buy ratings. And virtually all of the rest are merely considered Holds. In fact, right now, only a single S&P 500 component is considered a Sell by Wall Street's brightest minds.
One Hated Blue Chip. One.
Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence
We contrarians prefer stocks with Sell ratings. When this happens, there are nothing but upgrades to follow!
Let's begin with Franklin Resources (BEN, 6.1% yield). Better known for its operating business, Franklin Templeton, this isn't just one of the world's largest investment managers--it's a Dividend Aristocrat with 44 years of payout hikes under its belt, including a raise just a couple of months ago. While BEN has a lot more Hold calls than Sell calls, it doesn't have a single Buy rating to its name, and that's still extremely bearish for the analyst set.
Why did Franklin Resources draw my attention? Because it was a little less than five years ago that I lumped it in with a few other "zombie dividends" that were "probably dead money at best."
And In Fact, It Was.
The problem back then? Net outflows. The problem today? Net outflows. But the story has changed - today, outflows are being heavily driven by Franklin-owned fixed-income manager Western Asset Management Co. (WAMCO) unit, whose star bond manager, Ken Leech, has been charged with fraud. WAMCO has suffered massive redemptions from the likes of the California State Teachers' Retirement System, Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund.
Franklin is working on expense reductions. It actually has a promising, growing alternatives business. And it still saw fit to upgrade its dividend at the end of 2024. There's not nothing here. But given the low visibility into when exactly the WAMCO-related bleeding will stop, it's no surprise the pros have little appetite for this Aristocrat right now.
Less scandal-plagued is Suburban Propane Partners, LP (SPH, 5.9% yield), a national propane supplier that serves more than 700 communities in 42 states. The view from 10,000 feet isn't exactly attractive--this master limited partnership's (MLP) units have been cut by 60% since 2011 amid a volatile longer-term downtrend in the price of propane. The stock is not heavily covered by Wall Street, but it's a polarizing play that sports twice as many Sell calls as Buy ratings, and not a single Hold.
The pros might be spurred into action. I last discussed SPH in the back half of 2023, saying that a return to colder weather and a heightened interest in yield should drive interest in the propane stock, and indeed it did. Shares have delivered a total return of 60% since then, including a big pop to start 2025 on the back of cold snaps across the U.S. and resurgent propane prices.
Propane Has Peaked a Little Higher in Each of the Past Two Years
But the risk/reward picture has gotten blurrier--SPH's yield is much less than it was in 2023 (~9% then vs. ~6% now) and coverage is tighter, at about 70%-85% across a range of expected earnings for this year.
BGS Foods (BGS, 12.1% yield) is a smallish consumer-staples name with a few well-known brands that include Crisco, Cream of Wheat, Ortega, and Bear Creek. And it's an example of how to get a bigger yield the wrong way.
BGS's yield has rocketed from below 9% in early November to north of 12% right now--without a dividend hike. Instead, we can chalk it up to a 33% stock drop triggered by a dreadful Q3 earnings report and guidance cut.
Analysts are more cautious than outright hostile toward BGS, but five Holds and two Sells against no Buys is still a plenty-bearish consensus. The pros expect 2024 to end with a thud (profits down 30% to an adjusted 69 cents per share), followed by a flat-to-down 2025 (67 cents).
This could be a real problem for the dividend, given that at current levels, BGS pays out 76 cents.
And There's Precedent--BGS Cut Its Dividend by 60% in 2022
I'm going to briefly mention Prospect Capital (PSEC, 12.1% yield) because it needs saying: We have repeatedly warned about PSEC here, including in October 2024--just a couple of weeks before it announced yet another dividend cut. This time, it hacked away 25% of its monthly payout, bringing it from 6 cents to 4.5 cents per share.
Prospect Capital comes up in a lot of investor screens because it's perpetually cheap (57% of NAV right now!) and, despite all the cuts, it almost always sports an eye-popping yield (12%+ right now). I wouldn't directly bet against it--I think the administration could be favorable for business development companies (BDCs) like PSEC--but I agree with Wall Street, which has the stock as consensus Sell.
I couldn't pass up the chance to talk about a 20%-yielder, which is what we have in ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM, 24.2% yield). Israel-based ZIM is a global container liner shipping company that serves more than 32,000 customers across 300 ports in 90 countries. It's also a relatively young public issue--the company launched its IPO roughly four years ago.
And on a Total-Return Basis, ZIM Has Beat the Pants Off the Market
But Wall Street thinks that's just about enough. Five Sells against two Holds and no Buys? That's about as bearish as they get. It's not for nothing: Container spot rates are falling, and the outlook remains negative, in part because tariffs could depress international cargo demand. Also worrisome? ZIM has been ramping up capital investments, which has resulted in net debt spiking from a little more than $1 billion in 2022 to $3.5 billion today. ZIM is only worth $2.4 billion by market cap!
Shipping stocks are extremely cyclical, too--it's not unusual for stocks in this space to collapse by 50% or more before bouncing back. So while the pros see a massive downturn coming for ZIM, that could just be par for the course before the next cycle whisks the stock higher again. Which is why would-be dividend dip buyers should know exactly what they're in for.
This Dividend Is Just as Volatile as the Stock!
ZIM technically has a quarterly dividend policy, in which it will distribute "on a quarterly basis at a rate of 30% of the net quarterly income of each of the first three fiscal quarters of the year, while the cumulative annual dividend amount to be distributed by the Company (including the interim dividends paid during the first three fiscal quarters of the year) will total 30-50% of the annual net income."
But ZIM paid three dividends in 2024, including a special-and-regular distribution in December. It paid just once in 2023. And as the chart shows, how much it pays is all over the place.
The One 11% Dividend to Own Now
The total returns don't lie--in an up-cycle, ZIM's distribution generosity could make it a lucrative swing trade. But this payout is a nightmare for anyone who needs consistent income.
Fortunately, we can still find life-changing dividend yields with a lot more regularity.
My One 11% Dividend to Own Now is a rare machine capable of generating a simply ludicrous amount of cash. A 11% yield, in the most practical terms, is:
$1,000 a month from a mere $100,000 investment
$60,000 a year--a proper salary in many parts of the U.S.--from a mere $500,000 nest egg
A wild $120,000 annually if you have a million bucks to put to work
Paid out for sitting around and doing nothing but waiting.
That kind of money doesn't just buy you things.
It buys you comfort. It buys you peace of mind. It buys you a regular good night's sleep--where you stop wondering and worrying about which way the market's winds will blow next.
It could even buy you the ability to live off of dividends alone, without ever laying a finger on your nest egg.
But you don't have much time. If you miss the deadline to get on the list now, in a few days, you could be leaving money on the table--and might not be able to lock in this 11% when the next distribution comes around.
Click here, and I'll tell you all about this monster 11% yield, its growing payout, and its special dividends!
Also see:
Warren Buffett Dividend Stocks
Dividend Growth Stocks: 25 Aristocrats
Future Dividend Aristocrats: Close Contenders
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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