J.M. Smucker’s Q2 Profit Falls 15% (SJM)

J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM), a manufacturer and marketer of branded food products globally, today reported a 15% drop in its second-quarter fiscal 2012 profit due to  higher costs for ingredients. The company’s second-quarter profit also fell short of expectations.

Food and beverage companies have been battling higher costs for ingredients. But most companies have been reluctant to pass on the higher costs to consumers.

J.M. Smucker today said that its costs for milk, oil, peanuts and other commodities rose 30% in the second quarter. The company has raised prices on some of its products to offset this, including a 30% hike in peanut butter. Although the price hike boosted J.M. Smucker’s revenue rose 18% in the second quarter, its sales volume dropped 1% due to the price hike.

J.M. Smucker expects some costs to continue to remain high. However, commodity prices have eased a little and this should benefit the company in the next few quarters.

Richard Smucker, CEO of J.M. Smucker, said that the company is effectively managing the period of significant cost inflation.

For the second quarter, the Orville, Ohio-based company reported a profit of $127.2 million, or $1.12 per share, down from $149.7 million, or $1.25 per share reported for the same period in the previous year. Excluding one-time items, the company reported earnings of $1.29 per share, below Street estimates of $1.39 per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter, meanwhile, rose to $1.51 billion from $1.28 billion. Analysts had forecast the company to report revenue of $1.5 billion.

J.M. Smucker lowered its outlook for the full year due to costs related to the issuance of $750 million in long-term debt in October.

The company expects full-year earnings, excluding one-time items, to come in between $4.90 per share and $5 per share, down from previous guidance range of $5-$5.15 per share. Analysts expect the company to report adjusted earnings of $5.11 per share.

J.M. Smucker shares ended 1.82% lower at $71.85 in trading today.

Post Written By: Ed Liston Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing in his yacht.