Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
2009
Case Notes Prepared by: Dr. Mernoush Banton
Case Author: Kristopher J. Blanchard
A.
Case Abstract
B.
One company growing by nourishing lives and finding a better way today one bite at
a time.
C.
Customer
Products or services
Markets
Technology
Concern for survival, profitability, growth
Philosophy
Self-concept
Concern for public image
Concern for employees
D.
External Audit
Weight
Kraft
Weighted
Rating Score
Nestle
Weighted
Rating Score
ConAgra
Weighted
Rating Score
0.14
0.28
0.42
0.14
Global Expansion
Organizational
Structure
0.08
0.24
0.32
0.16
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.02
Employee Morale
0.03
0.09
0.06
0.03
Technology
0.08
0.24
0.32
0.16
Product Safety
0.11
0.11
0.33
0.22
Customer Loyalty
0.10
0.40
0.30
0.20
Market Share
0.08
0.24
0.32
0.16
Advertising
0.09
0.36
0.27
0.18
Product Quality
0.10
0.40
0.30
0.20
Product Image
0.11
0.44
0.33
0.22
Financial Position
0.06
0.18
0.24
0.12
Total
1.00
Critical Success
Factors
Price
competitiveness
3.02
3.27
Opportunities
1. More people are dining out, and food producers are devoting more attention
to products designed for restaurants, vending machines, and other
foodservice providers
2. Be able to sell to restaurants at a higher margin
3. Consumers are shifting toward food containing less trans fat or fewer calories,
or those containing only organic ingredients
4. Bottled water has become well established in the market and enhanced
waters containing vitamins or supplements are gaining popularity
5. Consumer prices for baked goods increased 10.7 percent in January 2009
compared to January 2008
6. Input costs for bakers, including commodities such as wheat, eggs, and
natural gas, have declined recently
7. The U.S. market for packaged and processed foods has seen large profits in
retail sales, and this number is expected to see steady growth
8. Worldwide, demand is also on the rise for packaged type of food as more
people adopt a lifestyle that includes less time for the preparation of food
9. The greatest asset of any retail and consumer product company is its
reputation and perceived value among consumers
1.81
Threats
1. Obesity is increasing drastically in both children and adults and accordingly
consumers are deviating from having snacks, cheeses and such
2. Rising costs of petroleum cause an increase in cost for companies in the food
industry and in the agriculture end
3. Food safety programs have been adopted recently as issues of chemical and
bacterial contamination and new food-borne pathogens remain a public health
concern
4. Because the industry is so competitive, it is difficult for these companies to
raise their prices accordingly, and profit margins have suffered as a result due
to weak economy and increase in unemployment, many consumers have
switched from brand name to generics
5. Due to increase in fuel charges, the cost of distribution can increase as well
6. Global warming becoming a major political issue and food producers are
simultaneously cast as perpetrator and potential healer
External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix
Key External Factors
Weight
Rating
Weighted
Score
0.06
0.24
0.07
0.21
0.07
0.14
0.07
0.21
0.06
0.18
0.04
0.08
0.09
0.36
0.09
0.27
0.06
0.18
Opportunities
Threats
1.
0.08
0.24
0.09
0.36
0.07
0.28
0.04
0.16
0.06
0.18
0.05
0.1
1.00
3.19
Positioning Map
Price (High)
Nestle
Kraft
Foods Inc.
ConAgra
Brand
Loyalty
(Low)
Brand
Loyalty
(High)
Price (Low)
E.
Internal Audit
Strengths
1. After two incidents of contamination, the company voluntarily recalled more
than 2 million pounds of nuts and has temporarily shut down its
manufacturing plants
2. Increase in sale in the developing international markets by 2 percent
3. The company operates in 5 different business segments: snacks, beverages,
cheese, grocery and convenient meals
4. Despite economic downturn, the companys revenues increased to US$42.2
billion 2008, while earnings increased to US$2.9 billion
5. Increase in current asset from 2007 to 2008 by almost US$600 million
6. Decrease in current liabilities by around US$6 billion from 2007 to 2008
7. Kraft sells over 100 different brand names
Weaknesses
1. Workers at one of Krafts manufacturers in Illinois turned up a batch of fruits
and nuts that were contaminated with salmonella in December 2007 with a
similar incident in September 2008
2. Drop in sales in the companys snack division from 2007 to 2008 by 2.30
percent
3. Drop in sales in the European Union market by 4.1 percent from 2007 to 2008
4. Despite 9.8 percent increase in price, Kraft Foods lost 0.3 percent market
share during 2008
5. The company has over US$27.5 billion in Goodwill
6. Increase in long-term debt by about 50 percent in 2008 from 2007
7. No new innovative product introduction in recent years
8. New CEO in 2006
Kraft
Industry
S&P 500
-5.70
-3.30
-4.80
33.00
20.70
-6.00
59.40
17.90
26.80
6.71
6.41
12.99
-11.36
-5.09
12.69
11.16
10.54
11.83
Price Ratios
Kraft
Industry
S&P 500
16.8
18.6
26.7
NA
5.7
16.6
NA
1.6
2.6
Price/Sales Ratio
1.00
1.05
2.25
Price/Book Value
1.60
2.87
3.48
12.20
12.10
13.70
Profit Margins %
Kraft
Industry
S&P 500
Gross Margin
34.5
31.1
38.9
Pre-Tax Margin
8.2
8.9
10.3
6.0
6.4
7.1
34.9
33.5
38.6
9.9
9.7
16.6
7.1
6.8
11.5
Financial Condition
Kraft
Industry
S&P 500
Debt/Equity Ratio
0.82
1.16
1.09
Current Ratio
1.1
1.2
1.5
Quick Ratio
0.7
0.7
1.3
Interest Coverage
3.7
8.9
23.7
Leverage Ratio
2.7
3.2
3.4
Book Value/Share
Adapted from www.moneycentral.msn.com
17.02
8,096.92
21.63
12/08
Avg P/E
Price/ Sales
Price/ Book
Net
Profit
Margin (%)
24.80
0.96
1.78
4.4
12/07
22.60
1.44
1.83
6.5
12/06
18.80
1.78
2.05
8.5
12/05
18.30
1.40
1.59
8.5
12/04
20.70
1.90
2.03
8.3
12/03
15.80
1.83
1.94
11.1
12/02
20.40
2.31
2.61
11.3
12/01
27.90
1.87
2.51
6.4
12/00
NA
NA
NA
8.7
12/08
24.80
0.96
1.78
4.4
Return
Equity (%)
12/08
$15.11
0.91
8.3
2.9
3.0
12/07
$17.80
0.77
8.6
3.5
5.4
12/06
$17.45
0.36
9.9
5.1
6.8
12/05
$17.72
0.36
9.8
5.0
7.2
12/04
$17.54
0.41
8.9
4.5
6.8
12/03
$16.57
0.45
11.8
5.7
8.9
12/02
$14.93
0.52
12.8
5.8
7.0
12/01
$13.53
0.61
8.0
3.4
3.4
12/00
$9.65
1.78
14.2
3.8
6.5
2.9
3.0
12/08
$15.11
0.91
8.3
Adapted from www.moneycentral.msn.com
on Return
on Interest
Assets (%)
Coverage
Weight
Rating
Weighted
Score
0.06
0.18
0.08
0.32
0.06
0.24
0.08
0.32
0.08
0.32
0.08
0.32
0.05
0.15
0.06
0.06
0.07
0.07
0.06
0.12
0.06
0.12
0.06
0.06
0.07
0.07
0.09
0.09
0.04
0.08
Total
1.00
F.
2.52
SWOT Strategies
Strengths
1. After two incidents of
contamination, the
company voluntarily
recalled more than 2
million pounds of nuts
and has temporarily
shut down its
Weaknesses
1. Workers at one of
Krafts manufacturers
in Illinois turned up a
batch of fruits and nuts
that were contaminated
with salmonella in
December 2007 with a
manufacturing plants
2. Increase in sale in the
developing
international markets
by 2 percent
3. The company operates
in 5 different business
segments: snacks,
beverages, cheese,
grocery and convenient
meals
4. Despite economic
downtime, the
companys revenues
increased to US$42.2
billion 2008, while
earnings increased to
US$2.9 billion
5. Increase in current
asset from 2007 to
2008 by almost
US$600 million
6. Decrease in current
liabilities by around
US$6 billion from 2007
to 2008
7. Kraft sells over 100
different brand names
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
similar incident in
September 2008
Drop in sales in the
companys snack
division from 2007 to
2008 by 2.30 percent
Drop in sales in the
European Union market
by 4.1 percent from
2007 to 2008
Despite 9.8 percent
increase in price, Kraft
Foods lost 0.3 percent
market share during
2008
The company has over
US$27.5 billion in
Goodwill
Increase in long-term
debt by about 50
percent in 2008 from
2007
No new innovative
product introduction in
recent years
New CEO in 2006
Opportunities
S-O Strategies
W-O Strategies
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
vitamins or
supplements are
gaining popularity
Consumer prices for
baked goods increased
10.7 percent in
January 2009
compared to January
2008
Input costs for bakers,
included commodities
such as wheat, eggs,
and natural gas, have
declined recently
The U.S. market for
packaged and
processed foods has
seen large profits in
retail sales, and this
number is expected to
see steady growth
Worldwide, demand is
also on the rise for
packaged type of food
as more people adopt
a lifestyle that includes
less time for the
preparation of food
The greatest asset of
any retail and
consumer product
company is its
reputation and
perceived value among
consumers
Threats
S-T Strategies
W-T Strategies
1. Obesity is increasing
drastically in both
children and adults and
accordingly consumers
are deviating from
having snacks, cheeses
and such
2. Rising costs of
petroleum cause an
increase in cost for
companies in the food
industry and in the
agriculture end
3. Food safety programs
have been adopted
1. Improve distribution in
European market with
new and innovative
organic products (S2,
S3, S4, S5, T1, T2, T3)
2. Open additional small
distribution center in
Europe and other
regions where sales
are increasing in order
to reduce distribution
costs (S2, S3, S7, O1,
O2, O8)
1. Implement a better
quality control
internally and with
suppliers to reduce
food contamination
(W1, T3, T6)
2. Discontinue products in
snack division that are
not selling (W2, W4,
T1, T2, T5, T6)
recently as issues of
chemical and bacterial
contamination and new
food-borne pathogens
remain a public health
concern
4. Because the industry is
so competitive, it is
difficult for these
companies to raise
their prices
accordingly, and profit
margins have suffered
as a result due to weak
economy and increase
in unemployment,
many consumers have
switched from brand
name to generics
5. Due to increase in fuel
charges, the cost of
distribution can
increase as well
6. Global warming
becoming a major
political issue and food
producers are
simultaneously cast as
perpetrator and
potential healer
G.
SPACE Matrix
FS
Conservative
Aggressive
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
CS
IS
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
Competitive
-7
Defensive
ES
Financial Stability (FS)
Return on Investment
Leverage
Liquidity
Working Capital
Cash Flow
3
1
4
4
4
-5
-3
-2
-4
-4
3.2
-3.6
-2
-3
-3
-4
-4
5
3
4
4
4
-3.2
H.
QuadrantII
Strong
Competitive
Position
Weak
Competitive
Position
QuadrantIII
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Market development
Market penetration
Product development
Forward integration
Backward integration
Horizontal integration
Related diversification
QuadrantIV
I.
High
3.0 to
3.99
The EFE
Total
Weighted
Score
Average
2.0 to 2.99
II
Weak
1.0 to 1.99
III
IV
IV
VI
VII
VIII
IX
Medium
2.0 to
2.99
Low
1.0 to
1.99
J.
QSPM
Key Factors
Opportunities
1. More people are dining out, and food
producers are devoting more attention to
products designed for restaurants,
vending machines, and other foodservice
providers
2. Be able to sell to restaurants at a higher
margin
3. Consumers are shifting toward food
containing less trans fat or fewer calories,
or those containing only organic
ingredients
4. Bottled water has become well established
in the market and enhanced waters
containing vitamins or supplements are
gaining popularity
5. Consumer prices for baked goods
increased 10.7 percent in January 2009
compared to January 2008
6. Input costs for bakers, included
commodities such as wheat, eggs, and
natural gas, have declined recently
7. The U.S. market for packaged and
processed foods has seen large profits in
retail sales, and this number is expected
to see steady growth
8. Worldwide, demand is also on the rise for
packaged type of food as more people
adopt a lifestyle that includes less time for
the preparation of food
9. The greatest asset of any retail and
consumer product company is its
reputation and perceived value among
consumer
Threats
1. Obesity is increasing drastically in both
children and adults and accordingly
consumers are deviating from having
snacks, cheeses and such
2. Rising costs of petroleum cause an
Weight
Develop a
new product
line,
focusing on
organic
ingredients
AS
TAS
Acquire a
small
competitor
that sells to
restaurants
and / or
intermediary
channels
AS
TAS
0.06
0.12
0.24
0.07
0.07
0.28
0.07
0.28
0.07
0.07
---
---
---
---
0.06
---
---
---
---
0.04
---
---
---
---
0.09
0.27
0.09
0.09
0.36
0.18
0.06
0.24
0.06
0.08
0.32
0.08
0.09
0.27
0.18
0.07
---
---
---
---
0.04
0.04
0.08
0.06
0.06
0.18
0.05
---
---
---
---
1.00
2.03
1.44
0.06
---
---
---
---
0.08
0.24
0.08
0.06
0.24
0.18
0.08
---
---
---
---
0.08
---
---
---
---
0.08
---
---
---
---
0.05
0.2
0.1
0.06
---
---
---
---
0.07
0.21
0.07
0.06
0.24
0.12
K.
0.06
---
---
---
---
0.06
---
---
---
---
0.07
0.28
0.14
0.09
0.36
0.18
0.04
1.00
---
--1.77
3.8
---
--0.87
2.31
Recommendations
Develop a series of products mainly made with organic products and are
healthy in nature by having low carb, low saturated fat and sugar. Introduce
the new product under its own business unit in case the company decides to
expand its line or sell it off.
L.
EPS/EBIT Analysis
US$ Amount Needed: $100 million
Stock Price: US$27.18
Tax Rate: 28.2%
Interest Rate: 6.17% (Average Effective Rate)
# Shares Outstanding: 1.5 billion
EBIT
Interest
EBT
Taxes
EAT
#
Shares
EPS
EBIT
Interest
EBT
Taxes
Common Stock
Recession
$3,800,000,00
0
0
3,800,000,000
1,071,600,000
2,728,400,000
1,503,679,176
1.81
Debt Financing
Financing
Normal
$4,000,000,00
0
0
4,000,000,000
1,128,000,000
2,872,000,000
Boom
$4,500,000,00
0
0
4,500,000,000
1,269,000,000
3,231,000,000
Recession
$3,800,000,00
0
6,170,000
3,793,830,000
1,069,860,060
2,723,969,940
Normal
$4,000,000,00
0
6,170,000
3,993,830,000
1,126,260,060
2,867,569,940
Boom
1,503,679,176
1.91
1,503,679,176
2.15
1,500,000,000
1.82
1,500,000,000
1.91
1,500,000,000
2.15
$4,500,000,000
6,170,000
4,493,830,000
1,267,260,060
3,226,569,940
EAT
#
Shares
EPS
2,724,855,952
2,868,455,952
3,227,455,952
2,727,513,988
2,871,113,988
3,230,113,988
1,502,575,423
1.81
1,502,575,423
1.91
1,502,575,423
2.15
1,501,103,753
1.82
1,501,103,753
1.91
1,501,103,753
2.15
M.
Epilogue
Recently, Kraft announced that they will be cutting the salt in its products sold in
North America by an average of 10 percent over the next two years. This decision
was based on consumers demanding healthier products and better ingredients in the
food they consume. Kraft is planning to complete the reduction of salt over the next
two years.
Kraft also has made an offer to acquire Cadbury which many analysts have rated as
a positive move on behalf of Kraft Foods, Inc. and accordingly, the stock price was
raised by US$3 from $33 to $36.