Where's that Cookie Monster when you need him? Kraft Foods
Kraft's product portfolio includes brands like Nabisco and Post, not to mention the eponymous cheese line. Jell-O, Altoids, DiGiorno, Maxwell House, and Oscar Mayer are also all under the Kraft umbrella.
But when it comes to cookies, which include Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and Animal Crackers, Kraft complains of higher prices and a lackluster impact of new products.
So who is filling the cookie jar? Rival Campbell's
You may recall, Kraft missed earnings in its second quarter due to an extra $200 million allotted for marketing, which adds insult to injury, given that a little salesmanship might be just the ticket to infuse some life in flagging sales. The final twist: Kraft's proactive anti-obesity initiative.
While a proactive approach to rising obesity is socially responsible, it has Kraft sounding a bit like a cigarette manufacturer. For example, Kraft has pledged to stop marketing its products in schools, and to keep a careful eye on how it markets to children, period.
Then again, Kraft is majority owned by Altria
If nothing else, it will be interesting to watch Kraft try to boost its sales while pushing for moderation and healthy lifestyles. Let's just hope it does it soon, so it won't need to rethink that nice boost in its quarterly dividend discussed here back in August.
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Alyce Lomax welcomes your feedback at [email protected].