Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of WhiteWave Foods Co (WWAV) gained as much as 11% today, and finished up 10% after turning in a strong fourth-quarter earnings report.
So what: The organic-foods maker topped estimates on both top and bottom lines, as earnings of $0.22 a share were up from $0.18 a year ago, and better than expectations at $0.20. Sales, meanwhile, improved 11.5%, to $679 million, ahead of the consensus at $663.8 million. CEO Gregg Engles said, "The results reflect continued strong organic growth across all businesses," and noted the addition of Earthbound Farm and a joint venture in China as promising future growth opportunities.
Now what: With those new revenue streams and continued growth expected from brands including Silk and Horizon, the company expects top-line growth for 2014 in the high twenties, in line with expectations at 29.1%, and organic growth of 7 to 8%. For the current quarter, it sees EPS of $0.18 to $0.20, and $0.90 to $0.94 for the full year. Analysts, meanwhile, expect per-share profits of $0.21 and $0.91, respectively. With a sixth manufacturing facility in North America set to open, and further investments in Europe, WhiteWave anticipates long-term growth, and it seems to be taking all the right steps to make it happen. Shares have nearly doubled in the last year; I'd expect them to keep moving higher.
