As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q2. Today, we are looking at shelf-stable food stocks, starting with Post (NYSE: POST).

As America industrialized and moved away from an agricultural economy, people faced more demands on their time. Packaged foods emerged as a solution offering convenience to the evolving American family, whether it be canned goods or snacks. Today, Americans seek brands that are high in quality, reliable, and reasonably priced. Furthermore, there's a growing emphasis on health-conscious and sustainable food options. Packaged food stocks are considered resilient investments. People always need to eat, so these companies can enjoy consistent demand as long as they stay on top of changing consumer preferences. The industry spans from multinational corporations to smaller specialized firms and is subject to food safety and labeling regulations.

The 21 shelf-stable food stocks we track reported a mixed Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.2% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 5.8% since the latest earnings results.

Post (NYSE: POST)

Founded in 1895, Post (NYSE: POST) is a packaged food company known for its namesake breakfast cereal and healthier-for-you snacks.

Post reported revenues of $1.98 billion, up 1.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

The market was likely pricing in the results, and the stock is flat since reporting. It currently trades at $102.88.

Is now the time to buy Post? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: Hershey (NYSE: HSY)

Best known for its milk chocolate bar and Hershey's Kisses, Hershey (NYSE: HSY) is an iconic company known for its chocolate products.

Hershey reported revenues of $2.61 billion, up 26% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA and organic revenue estimates.

Hershey scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 2.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $191.06.

Is now the time to buy Hershey? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN)

Sold in over 75 countries around the world, Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN) is a natural and organic food company whose products range from snacks to teas to baby food.

Hain Celestial reported revenues of $363.3 million, down 13.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ organic revenue and adjusted operating income estimates.

Hain Celestial delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 33.2% since the results and currently trades at $1.44.

Read our full analysis of Hain Celestial’s results here.

B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS)

Started as a small grocery store in New York City, B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS) is an American packaged foods company with a diverse portfolio of more than 50 brands.

B&G Foods reported revenues of $424.4 million, down 4.5% year on year. This print came in 1.2% below analysts' expectations. Overall, it was a softer quarter as it also recorded EPS in line with analysts’ estimates and a miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

B&G Foods had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 10.4% since reporting and currently trades at $4.56.

Read our full, actionable report on B&G Foods here, it’s free.

J&J Snack Foods (NASDAQ: JJSF)

Best known for its SuperPretzel soft pretzels and ICEE frozen drinks, J&J Snack Foods (NASDAQ: JJSF) produces a range of snacks and beverages and distributes them primarily to supermarket and food service customers.

J&J Snack Foods reported revenues of $454.3 million, up 3.3% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is down 10.6% since reporting and currently trades at $102.98.

Read our full, actionable report on J&J Snack Foods here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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