On Wednesday, Cheerios cereal-maker General Mills, Inc. reported a quarterly profit that topped analysts' estimates, as its efforts to reduce costs and improve its distribution network paid off.
Gross margins of the company, which is also known for its Häagen-Dazs and Betty Crocker brands, rose to 36.5% in the fourth quarter, from 34.7% a year earlier.
Blue Buffalo Pet Products Acquisition
General Mills said that it expects organic net sales to be in the range of flat to up to 1%. Including the impact of its acquisition of pet food snack-maker Blue Buffalo, net sales are expected to rise 9% to 10% from a year earlier.
To counter slowing sales growth in the packaged foods industry, General Mills bought pet snack-maker Blue Buffalo Pet Products for nearly $8 billion earlier this year.
Net earnings attributable to the company fell to $354.4 million, or 59 cents per share, in the three months ended 27 May, from $408.9 million, or 69 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding certain items, General Mills earned 79 cents per share. Analysts were expecting earnings of 72 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net sales rose 2%, to $3.89 billion, in line with analysts' estimates.
Shares of the company were up 1.17% in pre-market trading.
News by Reuters, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
