What: Shares of organic food company Boulder Brands (BDBD.DL) popped 17.6% on Thursday after its near-term outlook excited Wall Street.
So what: Boulder shares have slumped over the past year on declining profitability, but upside full-year guidance, coupled with an authorization from the Board of Directors to explore strategic alternatives, is triggering investor optimism for a significant near-term bounce. The company has been hurt by rising commodity costs and increased marketing spending due to the increasingly competitive nature of the organic space, but today's news reinforces the notion that it is "in play" as a real buyout target.
Now what: Management now sees full-year EPS of $0.20-$25, nicely ahead of the consensus view of $0.18. "Our organization is committed to being more balanced in customer and consumer marketing, more efficient in managing our brands and products, and more effective in our overall cost structure," said Interim CEO and COO Jim Leighton. "The Boulder Brands board and management team are aligned and committed to implementing changes and have taken significant initial steps toward these efforts late in the second quarter and into the third quarter." But while Boulder stock might offer a highly tempting short-term speculation play, the strong cost and competitive headwinds it continues to face make it an unfavorable long-term opportunity.
