Fresh Del Monte Produce
(
FDP
) has seen a big rise in earnings estimates following its most
recent quarter making it a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy).
Company Description
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. sells fresh and fresh-cut produce
worldwide. It also offers prepared fruit and vegetables, juices,
beverages, snacks, poultry, and meat products. It offers fresh
produce primarily under the DEL MONTE brand, as well as under the
UTC and Rosy names; and prepared fruits and vegetables, juices,
beverages, and snacks under the DEL MONTE, Fruit Express, Just
Juice, and Fruitini brands. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. was
founded in 1886 and is based in George Town, Cayman Islands.
Fresh Del Monte Produce Meets or Beats the Estimate in
Three of the Last Five Quarters
Fresh Del Monte Produce has met or topped the Zacks Consensus
Estimate in three of the last five quarters. Despite the three
beats, the stock only moved up two times in that time frame and
moved lower by 1.9% on average over the last five quarters. Besides
the most recent beat, the stock moved higher following the March
2011 earnings release.
In the March 2011 quarter, the stock rose nearly 1% following a 28%
positive earnings surprise. The company reported earnings of $0.96,
$0.21 more than the Zacks Consensus Estimate . Revenues of $974
million were approximately $27 more than the Zacks Consensus
Estimate.
Fresh Del Monte Produce Most Recent Reported
Earnings
On May 1, 2012 Fresh Del Monte Produce reported revenue of $898
million, roughly $48 million lower than the Zacks Consensus
Estimate and down from $974 million reported in year ago quarter.
In addition, earnings per share came in at $1.08, $0.26 higher than
the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.82. The beat of 31% helped to
propel the stock higher by about 6.5% in the session following the
release.
Fresh Del Monte Produce Sees Estimates Moving
Higher
Fresh Del Monte Produce has seen earnings estimates move higher
following the recent positive earnings surprise. The Zacks
Consensus Estimate for 2012 was $1.92 prior to the most recent
earnings and has since moved to $2.22. That represents a to 2013 is
approximately 16%.
Estimates for 2013 have also seen an increase following the most
recent quarterly release. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2013 was
$2.20 in April 2012. The current level is now $2.36, an increase of
7.3%.
Valuation
The valuation for Fresh Del Monte Produce is very attractive. The
stock trades at a discount to most of the major metrics that
aggressive growth investors tend to look at. A trailing twelve
months PE of 12x is below the industry average of 16x. The forward
PE is just as attractive, with an 11x multiple comfortably below
that of the 15x industry average. Price to book of 0.8x will bring
in many value investors as well, and there is significant room for
expansion for that multiple when compared to the industry average
of 3.9x. Price to sales below 1x is often a bargain, but at 0.4x
FDP should get thorough consideration on valuation alone.
The Chart
A quick look at the chart shows a stock that has rebounded back to
levels it was at near the start of the year. The stock was punished
for an earnings miss for the December 2011 quarter. Given the
recent history of the stock and the excellent valuation picture, it
is possible that the stock can rally to reach new highs in the
coming quarters. Consistently delivering positive earnings
surprises will be the lynch-pin to success for this stock. Fresh
Del Monte Produce is a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy).
Brian Bolan is the Aggressive Growth Stock Strategist for
Zacks.com. He is also the Editor in charge of the
Zacks Home
Run Investor service
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FRESH DEL MONTE (FDP): Free Stock Analysis
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FRESH DEL MONTE (FDP): Free Stock Analysis
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