CHICAGO, Sept. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zacks Equity Research highlights Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) as the Bull of the Day and CRA International (Nasdaq:CRAI) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis onDean Foods Company (NYSE:DF), Kraft Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:KFT) and ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG).
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101027/ZIRLOGO)
Full analysis of all these stocks is available at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2678.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
Buoyed by heightened investor interest and a slew of positive developments, we are upgrading Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) shares to Outperform from Neutral. The company's decision to resume dividend payouts and the announcement of a $500 million share buyback program make us optimistic about the independent refiner/marketer.
Our positive stance also revolves around Tesoro's proposed acquisition of BP's Southern California refinery, which, apart from boosting refinery capacity, will also improve the company's operational efficiency. An uptick in crack spreads and Tesoro's scale and diversification benefits afforded by its portfolio of seven refineries add to the positive sentiment.
Overall, we believe Tesoro is well positioned going forward and view it as an attractive investment. Our $48 price target is based on 2012 P/E multiple of 8.2x.
Following the footsteps of the previous-quarter results, CRA International's (Nasdaq:CRAI) second quarter 2012 results were also discouraging. The earnings lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate significantly, owing to the weak performance of its management consulting business, partially offset by healthy litigation business.
As a result of the soft consulting business, all key-line items experienced a downside. The management consulting business suffered because of poor performance of the Chemicals practice and Middle East operations. Although management is undertaking restructuring actions to improve profitability and boost performance, we remain concerned about the ongoing economic uncertainty in Europe, cautious spending by clients, stiff competition and currency fluctuations.
Hence, we reiterate our Underperform stance on the stock. Our six-month target price of $14.00 per share equates to about 16.5x our earnings estimate for 2012. With no dividend to supplement, this target price implies a negative return of 11.7% over that period.
Latest Posts on the Zacks Analyst Blog:
Dean Foods Slips to Neutral
We have downgraded our long-term recommendation on Dean Foods Company (NYSE:DF) to Neutral from Outperform, based on the uncertainty surrounding raw material prices. The company projects Class I raw milk prices to increase significantly in the second-half of fiscal 2012. As a result, the company guided lower Fresh Dairy Direct's operating profits.
Nevertheless, Dean Foods raised its overall earnings per share guidance for fiscal 2012 to $1.18 - $1.28 per share from $1.10 - $1.20 forecasted earlier, on account of a solid second quarter bottom line performance. For the third quarter of fiscal 2012, the company anticipates earnings to range between $0.25 and $0.30 per share.
Dean Foods' second quarter earnings per share almost doubled to 36 cents -- beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents -- driven by its stringent focus on cost control. The company's net sales dipped 5.3% year over year to $3,125.5 million and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,241 million. The decline was primarily a pass-through of lower dairy commodity costs, offset partly by strong top-line performance at WhiteWave-Alpro.
Of late, fluid milk processing profits have been hit by increasing money-offs on private label milk distribution as well as weak sales volumes. In order to counter these headwinds, Dean Foods has implemented strategies like price realization by passing input cost inflation to customers, cost cuts and boosting volume performance. These fundamental steps have facilitated it to step up and rebuild the company's profitability.
Moreover, Dean Foods continues to make headway in its efforts to achieve the lowest cost position in the industry. The company has benefited from its continued focus on cost reduction initiatives across the businesses, including headcount reductions.
It has already achieved its targeted total cost savings of $300 million in fiscal 2011 under the cost reduction program started in 2009. Further, Dean Foods intends to move aggressively toward streamlining its cost structure.
The company has taken strategic steps to optimize its capital allocation and concentrate on core business activities. Consequently, during fiscal 2011 the company divested its underperforming business unit operations of dairy processing facility in the Southeast, and expects more closures in the near future.
On the flip side, Dean Foods business is heavily dependent on commodities such as raw milk, soybeans, diesel fuel and others. The company is anticipating a rise in Class I raw milk prices in the second half of fiscal 2012, which may negatively impact the operating income of Fresh Dairy Direct segment in the range of $5 million to $10 million or $0.02 to $0.04 per share.
Additionally, in recent years, the consolidation of the retail grocery industry has led to increased competition among dairy product suppliers. In such a situation, Dean Foods faces stiff competition at the processor level, in all major product lines and geographic markets. The company competes mainly with Kraft Foods Inc. (Nasdaq:KFT) and ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG).
Dean Foods currently has a Zacks #3 Rank, implying a short-term Hold rating on the stock.
Get the full analysis of all these stocks by going to http://at.zacks.com/?id=2649.
About the Bull and Bear of the Day
Every day, the analysts at Zacks Equity Research select two stocks that are likely to outperform (Bull) or underperform (Bear) the markets over the next 3-6 months.
About the Analyst Blog
Updated throughout every trading day, the Analyst Blog provides analysis from Zacks Equity Research about the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets.
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous analyst coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=7158.
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD from MIT Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment
Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=4582.
Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts
Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
[email protected]
http://www.zacks.com
SOURCE Zacks Investment Research, Inc.
Share this article