Kraft Foods Group (KRFT.DL) is entering a new era after its recent corporate break-up. Its brand power is indisputable, and its market share dominates. But Kraft's growth potential is limited, and its heavily commoditized categories face massive pressures. I've created a premium report on Kraft to help investors examine the company's future.
Below is an excerpt from the report, which highlights the Kraft's two biggest opportunities. It's just a taste of one section, but we hope you find it useful.
Kraft possesses two huge strengths, namely the cache of its dominant brand portfolio and its diversified product mix. Together, these characteristics harness the company's biggest sources of opportunity. However, as we'll see later in this report, they also comprise some of its largest risks.
Here's proof in Kraft's pudding that its mature brands still offer appeal:
| Brand | Year Parent Brand Was Introduced | 2011 Net Revenue Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Velveeta Shells and Cheese | 1928 | 20% |
| Philadelphia | 1880 | 11% |
| Kraft Mayo | 1903 | 10% |
| Capri Sun | 1979 | 9% |
| Oscar Mayer Cold Cuts | 1883 | 8% |
| Lunchables | 1988 | 7% |
Source: Kraft Foods Group Investor Relations.
In light of the mature, competitive nature of the domestic packaged-food industry, Kraft's dominant brand portfolio is its biggest strength. Kraft has a very strong and diverse portfolio of brands that enjoy leading positions across the categories in which it competes.
Take a look at Kraft's diversified product mix:
| Category | Sales |
|---|---|
| Grocery | 24% |
| Cheese | 21% |
| Foodservice | 21% |
| Convenient Meals | 18% |
| Beverages | 16% |
Source: Kraft Foods Group Investor Relations.
Kraft's grocery portfolio is comprised of dressings, sauces, and mixes like Kraft Mayo and Stove Top. This category holds modest growth potential, but enjoys high profit margins. Particularly in the grocery and cheese categories, private-label and other big-brand-label competition can be extremely competitive. In recent years, Kraft has improved its quality and innovation in this category, which should improve its position against private-label competitors.
While Kraft has a dominant position in cheese, this is arguably its most challenging category. Cheese is a category that is very much challenged by commodity cost fluctuation and intense price competition from both branded and private-label players. As such, pricing is key in this division, and is a main reason Kraft may experience less consistent profit growth than other consumer staples peers.
The company's foodservice division contains both Canadian operations and sales of several Kraft products to the restaurant industry. This can be viewed as an important source of diversification. As the economy strengthens and more people dine out at fast-food venues and casual restaurants, Kraft may likely benefit.
Most of the sales of Kraft's convenience meals are derived from its ubiquitous mac and cheese and its Oscar Mayer brands. Since time-strapped consumers consistently spend more money on convenience-oriented products, this division may be among Kraft's stronger performers over time. Specifically, Kraft plans to invest in healthy, on-the-go meals, given the company's goal to increase sales from products considered "better choice" alternatives from roughly 40% in 2011 to more than 50% by 2015.
Kraft's blockbuster beverage brands include Maxwell House, Capri Sun, and Kool-Aid. After losing its packaged-coffee relationship with Starbucks, Kraft rolled out its premium coffee brand Gevalia in U.S. grocery and warehouse-club stores. The company hopes sales growth of Gevalia and MiO, its liquid water enhancer, will help this category get back on track.
Looking for more help?
That was just a small morsel of our new premium report on Kraft Foods Group. If you're trying to figure out whether the company is a buy or sell, the report is an indispensable resource for investors seeking more information. Also, the report comes with updated quarterly guidance so you'll stay in the know. To get started, simply click here.
