The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how shelf-stable food stocks fared in Q4, starting with General Mills (NYSE: GIS).

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 4 shelf-stable food stocks we track reported a slower Q4. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 11.4% since the latest earnings results.

Best Q4: General Mills (NYSE: GIS)

Best known for its portfolio of powerhouse breakfast cereal brands, General Mills (NYSE: GIS) is a packaged foods company that has also made a mark in cereals, baking products, and snacks.

General Mills reported revenues of $5.24 billion, up 2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

“We made important progress accelerating our volume growth and market share trends in the first half of the year, including returning our North America Pet business to growth,” said General Mills Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Harmening.

General Mills achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 10.5% since reporting and currently trades at $58.96.

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

Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ: SMPL)

Best known for its Atkins brand that was inspired by the popular diet of the same name, Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ: SMPL) is a packaged food company whose offerings help customers achieve their healthy eating or weight loss goals.

Simply Good Foods reported revenues of $341.3 million, up 10.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. It was unfortunately a mixed quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 7.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $33.96.

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

Weakest Q4: Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW)

Best known for its Grown in Idaho brand, Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW) produces and distributes potato products such as frozen french fries and mashed potatoes.

Lamb Weston reported revenues of $1.60 billion, down 7.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Lamb Weston delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 23.1% since the results and currently trades at $60.11.

Read our full analysis of Lamb Weston’s results here.

Conagra (NYSE: CAG)

Founded in 1919 as Nebraska Consolidated Mills in Omaha, Nebraska, Conagra Brands today (NYSE: CAG) boasts a diverse portfolio of packaged foods brands that includes everything from whipped cream to jarred pickles to frozen meals.

Conagra reported revenues of $3.20 billion, flat year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 4.4% since reporting and currently trades at $26.16.

Read our full, actionable report on Conagra 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 has thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% each in November and December), 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 the pace and magnitude of future rate cuts as well as potential changes in trade policy and corporate taxes once the Trump administration takes over. The path forward is marked by uncertainty.

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

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