Latest news with #EthanBrown

News.com.au
16-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
On The Punt: Flemington best bets for Saturday, May 17, 2025
Form analyst Chris Vernuccio gives his best bet, next best and value tip at Flemington on Saturday. News Corp form analyst Chris Vernuccio takes a look at the Flemington meeting on Saturday. â– â– â– â– â– BEST BET KING ZEPHYR (R6 No.11): King Zephyr sets up to stakes grade for the first time after winning all four runs this prep, beating his opposition easily by a combined margin of 9¼ lengths. He looks capable of winning Group races. The step back to 1200m is the only concern but connections have their sights on the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap next month. NEXT BEST HIGHVOL (R2 No.1): Highvol won a stakes race on debut on Anzac Day and should have more upside. The horse he beat, Stay Cosmic, was runner-up in a handicap race at Sandown Lakeside after winning on debut, so the form potentially looks strong. He's drawn well in barrier six to settle among the leading pack. VALUE BET MAGARTEN (R9 No.10): Magarten chased home in-form galloper Know Thyself at Randwick last start, finishing 1¼ lengths behind the Country Championships Final winner. He should be ready to peak third-up and has placed twice in both attempts at 1800m. ETHAN BROWN HIGHVOL (R2 No.1 – $2.80), MATERIAL DREAMS (R3 No.5 – $8.50), KALKALLO (R4 No.7 – $3.90), OXFORD BLUE (R5 No.4 – $4.80), BERKSHIRE BREEZE (R7 No.12 – $5.50). Originally published as On The Punt: Flemington best bets for Saturday, May 17, 2025

Daily Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Brad Waters' Pakenham tips: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News. Form expert Brad Waters analyses Thursday's meeting at Pakenham, presenting his best bets, value selection and jockey to follow. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ BEST BET SIOUX SPIRIT (Race 5 No.1): Chased solidly when not far away at Mornington first-up. She'll be much fitter again has drawn to have the perfect run. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ NEXT BEST TASSRON (Race 1 No.6): Tried hard behind an all-the-way winner at his first crack at 1600m at Cranbourne. He'll be better for it and will be harder to beat. NASRAAWY (Race 7 No.2): Solid under 60kg at Sale second-up after scoring when resuming. He'll be fitter again and staying at 1000m suits. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ VALUE BET LINKVUE (Race 6 No.2): Led throughout to score at Geelong but wasn't able to lead last time. If he finds the front, he could be hard to run down this time. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ THE JOCKEY — ETHAN BROWN The Group 1-winning hoop heads to Pakenham for five rides on Thursday. QUEENSBURY (Race 1 No.4 – $4.40), BRING FORTH (Race 2 No.2 – $1.50), ILLYIVY (Race 4 No.7 – $4), THE GRUMPY BEAR (Race 6 No.1 – $2.50), NUTS 'N' BOLTS (Race 8 No.5 – $9.50). Originally published as Brad Waters' best bets and value play for Pakenham races on Thursday, May 15, 2025
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beyond Meat treads precarious path as economic uncertainty adds to category woes
One has to wonder how much longer loss-making Beyond Meat can weather the storm of muted demand for plant-based proteins as economic uncertainty in the US now presents yet another headwind. 'We saw a slowdown in consumption as the uncertain macroeconomic environment likely exacerbated category challenges,' president and CEO Ethan Brown said yesterday (7 May), a factor sufficient enough for guidance to be scrapped in the first-quarter results announcement. That guidance, presented in February, was for annual sales of $320-335m, 'with first-quarter net revenues expected to be comparable' to the corresponding period in 2024. The fact is, they weren't. Sales fell 9.1% in the opening three months of 2025 to $68.7m. In the same quarter of last year, they dropped 18% to $75.6m. Another decline is now expected in the new quarter, with Brown pointing to $80-85m, compared to $93.2m in Q2 of 2024, when they fell 8.8%. Alongside yesterday's results announcement, Beyond Meat revealed it had secured a $100m financing package from Unprocessed Foods, a unit of the non-profit Ahimsa Foundation. While the funding was not a surprise in itself, as Beyond Meat had flagged in February it was in talks to raise additional cash, the fact Ahimsa is willing to take a punt on the loss-making business perhaps was, especially with consumer demand for plant-based proteins on a shaky path. Perhaps the funding was behind a 0.8% move higher in the share price yesterday, and the fact Unprocessed Foods has an option to take a 12.5% interest in Beyond Meat 30-days from 8 May. But at $2.54 at the close yesterday, the move by the Ahimsa-linked firm appears risky, when you consider the shares were trading north of $100 five years ago. They have lost 34% this year alone, with the decline even larger over the last 12 months at 69%. The strike price for the option has been set at a minimum of $2 and a maximum of $3.75. The lower threshold certainly looks in sight, especially given Beyond Meat reported another quarter of EBITDA and net losses. 'Beyond Meat is a category-leading business with exceptional products, a strong commitment to nutrition and ingredient integrity, and a globally recognised brand,' Ahimsa president Shaleen Shah said in a joint statement yesterday. 'This reflects our expectation to be invested in Beyond Meat's growth and success for the long term.' How long is long might be the ultimate question. As Beyond Meat 'sidesteps equity dilution for now, business erosion is increasingly concerning, and it's hard to see a forthcoming inflection', John Baumgartner, a managing director at Japanese investment bank Mizuho Securities, wrote yesterday. While the uncertain macroeconomic backdrop, financially pressured consumers and the implications of tariffs have been common themes expressed by US food manufacturers during the current earnings season, Beyond Meat seems more exposed given its category dynamics. 'The company is experiencing an elevated level of uncertainty within its operating environment, which management believes could have unforeseen impacts on the company's actual realised results,' Brown said as he explained the reasons for the guidance withdrawal. That was evident in the US market, Beyond Meat's largest when it comes to retail. Those sales fell 15.4% in the first quarter to $31.4m. And similarly in foodservice, sales dropped 23.5% to $9.4m. International was Beyond Meat's saviour, where the company has a more solidified presence in the out-of-home channel with quick-service restaurants, especially in Europe. Those foodservice sales were up 12.1% at $15.3m, while retails sales were more subdued, up only 0.8% at $12.7m. 'Business erosion worsens,' was how Baumgartner headed up his research note, with the exception of international out-of-home. 'Q1 featured a sizable revenue miss versus guidance provided at the end of February and EBITDA also missed by a large margin. Weakness reflected incremental category headwinds from macro pressures and revenue missed our model in three of four segments,' he added. That same erosion had been seen in China, a market from which Beyond Meat officially withdrew in February, and consequently incurred costs in the first quarter of $0.9m related to that withdrawal. Beyond Meat cited those costs, along with a non-cash charge of $4.3m related to 'specific strategic decisions to increase inventory provision for certain inventory items', for the losses in gross profit and margins. Gross profit dipped into the red to the tune of $1.1m compared to a positive $3.7m a year earlier. The margin was a negative 1.5% versus plus 4.9%. Losses in adjusted EBITDA widened to $42.3m from $32.9m. Beyond Meat's net loss was $52.9m, a slight improvement from the $54.4m loss in the same quarter of 2024. 'This facility provides us with additional liquidity as we advance our strategic priorities and invest opportunistically to help us drive our growth plans,' Brown said in the financing statement alongside Ahimsa's Shah. 'We are pleased to welcome a new investor who deeply understands our industry and is mission-aligned with our plant-based ethos. In addition to securing access to this substantial new financing, we are continuing to evaluate opportunities to further strengthen our balance sheet and best position our business for the future.' However, what is substantial when Beyond Meat is saddled with $1.1bn in debt, overshadowed by the big what if should reciprocal tariffs ensue in the company's international markets? It does have $115.8m in hand of cash and cash equivalents but that includes unspecified 'restricted cash'. 'In response to this interruption in our recovery, we are doubling down on cost-savings initiatives in support of our goal of achieving run-rate EBITDA-positive operations by year-end 2026,' Brown said. The market awaits. "Beyond Meat treads precarious path as economic uncertainty adds to category woes" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) Misses Q1 Revenue Estimates, Stock Drops
Plant-based protein company Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 9.1% year on year to $68.73 million. Its non-GAAP loss of $0.67 per share was 41.3% below analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Beyond Meat? Find out in our full research report. Beyond Meat (BYND) Q1 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $68.73 million vs analyst estimates of $74.92 million (9.1% year-on-year decline, 8.3% miss) Adjusted EPS: -$0.67 vs analyst expectations of -$0.47 (41.3% miss) Adjusted EBITDA: -$42.33 million vs analyst estimates of -$22.13 million (-61.6% margin, 91.3% miss) Operating Margin: -81.8%, down from -70.7% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$30.63 million compared to -$33 million in the same quarter last year Sales Volumes fell 11.2% year on year (-16.1% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $192.5 million Beyond Meat President and CEO Ethan Brown commented, 'As the first quarter of 2025 progressed to a close, we saw a slowdown in consumption as the uncertain macroeconomic environment likely exacerbated category challenges. Nevertheless, we drove year-over-year reductions in operating expenses, notwithstanding the impact of certain transitory items, to partially offset disappointing net revenues and gross profit.' Company Overview A pioneer at the forefront of the plant-based protein revolution, Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) is a food company specializing in alternatives to traditional meat products. Sales Growth Reviewing a company's long-term sales performance reveals insights into its quality. Any business can put up a good quarter or two, but many enduring ones grow for years. With $319.6 million in revenue over the past 12 months, Beyond Meat is a small consumer staples company, which sometimes brings disadvantages compared to larger competitors benefiting from economies of scale and negotiating leverage with retailers. As you can see below, Beyond Meat struggled to generate demand over the last three years. Its sales dropped by 11.8% annually as consumers bought less of its products. Beyond Meat Quarterly Revenue This quarter, Beyond Meat missed Wall Street's estimates and reported a rather uninspiring 9.1% year-on-year revenue decline, generating $68.73 million of revenue. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 1.8% over the next 12 months. Although this projection indicates its newer products will spur better top-line performance, it is still below the sector average. Here at StockStory, we certainly understand the potential of thematic investing. Diverse winners from Microsoft (MSFT) to Alphabet (GOOG), Coca-Cola (KO) to Monster Beverage (MNST) could all have been identified as promising growth stories with a megatrend driving the growth. So, in that spirit, we've identified a relatively under-the-radar profitable growth stock benefiting from the rise of AI, available to you FREE via this link.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Perishable Food Stocks Q4 Recap: Benchmarking Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND)
The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let's take a look at how Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) and the rest of the perishable food stocks fared in Q4. The perishable food industry is diverse, encompassing large-scale producers and distributors to specialty and artisanal brands. These companies sell produce, dairy products, meats, and baked goods and have become integral to serving modern American consumers who prioritize freshness, quality, and nutritional value. Investing in perishable food stocks presents both opportunities and challenges. While the perishable nature of products can introduce risks related to supply chain management and shelf life, it also creates a constant demand driven by the necessity for fresh food. Companies that can efficiently manage inventory, distribution, and quality control are well-positioned to thrive in this competitive market. Navigating the perishable food industry requires adherence to strict food safety standards, regulations, and labeling requirements. The 11 perishable food stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts' consensus estimates by 1.4%. While some perishable food stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2.3% since the latest earnings results. A pioneer at the forefront of the plant-based protein revolution, Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) is a food company specializing in alternatives to traditional meat products. Beyond Meat reported revenues of $76.66 million, up 4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts' expectations by 1.9%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts' adjusted operating income estimates. Beyond Meat President and CEO Ethan Brown commented, '2024 was a pivotal year for Beyond Meat. We returned to year-over-year net revenue growth in the second half, meaningfully expanded gross margin compared to the prior year, sharply reduced operating expenses, and delivered a significant year-over-year improvement in Adjusted EBITDA.' Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 28.2% since reporting and currently trades at $2.55. Read our full report on Beyond Meat here, it's free. Founded in 1983 in California, Mission Produce (NASDAQ:AVO) grows, packages, and distributes avocados. Mission Produce reported revenues of $334.2 million, up 29.2% year on year, outperforming analysts' expectations by 17%. The business had an incredible quarter with a solid beat of analysts' EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Mission Produce scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 9.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $10.66. Is now the time to buy Mission Produce? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Translating to "of the mountain" in Spanish, Fresh Del Monte (NYSE:FDP) is a leader in providing high-quality, sustainably grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh Del Monte Produce reported revenues of $1.01 billion, flat year on year, falling short of analysts' expectations by 2%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Interestingly, the stock is up 12.8% since the results and currently trades at $34.81. Read our full analysis of Fresh Del Monte Produce's results here. Known for brands such as Egg-Land's Best and Land O' Lakes, Cal-Maine (NASDAQ:CALM) produces, packages, and distributes eggs. Cal-Maine reported revenues of $1.42 billion, up 102% year on year. This result missed analysts' expectations by 0.8%. Overall, it was a softer quarter as it also logged a significant miss of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Cal-Maine achieved the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 5% since reporting and currently trades at $95. Read our full, actionable report on Cal-Maine here, it's free. With an emphasis on ethically produced products, Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) specializes in pasture-raised eggs and butter. Vital Farms reported revenues of $166 million, up 22.2% year on year. This print topped analysts' expectations by 3.8%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter as it also logged a solid beat of analysts' EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Vital Farms scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 1.7% since reporting and currently trades at $33.30. Read our full, actionable report on Vital Farms here, it's free. As a result of the Fed's rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed's 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. 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