Del Monte Marks Tenth

Del Monte Foods has been celebrating the tenth anniversary of its listing on the New York Stock Exchange.Rick Wolford,Del Monte's CEO,said the company's business is about half-consumer and half-pet foods.Both are doing very,very well.People are eating at home more,and they are humanizing their pets.Del Monte's brands include S&W,College Inn,Contadina,Del Monte,Milk-Bone,9 Lives,Meow Mix and Puperoni.The Del Monte brand itself is a very strong brand,Mr.Wolford believes.Fifty percent of the company's commodity costs are hedged,protecting them from inflation.
Carly the golden retriever,the company mascot, accompanied Mr.Wolford as he rang the opening bell at the NYSE.

Dollar Tree Profits

Dollar Tree(DLTR),the discount variety chain,posted a 14% boost in net profit for fiscal Q1.With more bargain hunters brought in by the tough economic times,its gross margin rose from 33.4 to 33.9%,and same store sales rose 2.1%.It also raised its fiscal year earnings outlook to a range of 2.23 to 2.39 a share,up from 2.17 to 2.35 a share.In a recent circular,Dollar Tree featured 4-ounce steaks,as well as 8-pack hot dogs,24-ounce Del Monte ketchup,Sunbeam batteries and 6-ounce Aim toothpaste-all for 1.00 U.S. each.Indeed,everything in the store is a pocketbook-friendly one greenback.

Del Monte's New Campaign

Del Monte Foods(DLM) is launching a new ad campaign for its many pet food brands.Del Monte owns Milk-Bone,Meow Mix,Kibbles 'n Bits and other leading brands.The marketing push is called "Power of Paws."It emphasizes the value of pet ownership to human health.Del Monte pet foods "build and strengthen the bond between people and pets.Help us make a difference and unleash the Power of Paws." The program has its own website,www.PowerofPaws.com.Del Monte has partnered with the Animal Medical Center and the Bergin University of Canine Studies.Its pet food division is based in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania.

Del Monte Picks Winners

Del Monte Foods(DLM) has tied itself to a couple of winners.In a coupon ad,the company celebrated Disney Pixar's(DIS) release of Ratatouille on DVD and Blue-ray Hi Def.It also offered a five dollar rebate if you buy five cans of Del Monte vegetables and a Ratatouille DVD or Blue-ray.This proved to be a clever choice,since Ratatouille promptly went to the top of the DVD chart.The ad encouraged people to eat healthier and get more exercise.The Wolfe family,YMCA members,are shown preparing a meal with Ratatouille himself."Just One More,"the Del Monte healthy living campaign,is a proud supporter of YMCA Activate America.Nor is Del Monte limiting its health promotion to humans.On the flip side of the ad,we see a cat licking its chops while imagining a shrimp."Think like a cat.Think fresh.Think Meow Mix.Made with REAL Poultry and Seafood!"Meow Mix has its own website,where you can enter a contest and win"a culinary adventure with celebrity chef Cat Coral."DLM has committed itself to the health of the whole family."Foods of Del Monte.Nourishing families.Enriching lives.Every day."These tie-ins and slogans appeal to young families.Del Monte is making itself an element of their lifestyle.With DLM's substantial distribution network and shelf space,they will have no trouble finding the Del Monte foods they want.Carl Marker of IMS lists Del Monte as one of his top five stock picks.In this morning's trading,Del Monte shares were up five cents to 10.02.This consumer staple stock looks appealing in light of a National Association of Business Economics forecast released yesterday.One in five economists surveyed sees greater than a 50% chance of a recession.The median growth forecast is 1.5% for the fourth quarter.Gross Domestic Product for 2008 is pegged at 2.5-down from 2.8.Seventy-eight percent of Americans think the economy is getting worse.