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ConAgra Foods Presents Business Update at Consumer Conference; Raises EPS Expectations for Fiscal 2008-2010; Provides Estimate of Costs for Peanut Butter Recall.


OMAHA Omaha, city, United States
Omaha (ō`məhä, –hô), city (1990 pop. 335,795), seat of Douglas co., E Nebr., on the west bank of the Missouri River; inc. 1857.
, Neb. -- Today ConAgra Foods ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's largest packaged foods companies. ConAgra's products are available in supermarkets, as well as restaurants and food service establishments. Its headquarters are located in Omaha, Nebraska.  Inc. (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
:CAG CAG 1 Chronic atrophic gastritis 2 Coronary angiography, see there ) will present a company update to the Consumer Analyst Group of New York New York, state, United States
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of
 at that group's annual conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. In his remarks, ConAgra Foods CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board.  Gary Rodkin Gary Rodkin is the current CEO and President of ConAgra Foods, one of the largest food processing companies in North America. Rodkin was formerly the CEO and president of the North America division of PepsiCo from 1995 to 2005, and still is a special consultant through his exit  will assess the progress of the company's key initiatives, discuss its current priorities and offer an outlook for the next several years. In addition, the company provided a preliminary estimated charge of $50 million to $60 million, or approximately $0.06 - $0.08 per share, for the current quarter related to the recent peanut butter recall.

Regarding its financial outlook:

* Fiscal 2007: The company notes that its previous EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) A PostScript file format used to transfer a graphic image between applications and platforms. EPS files contain PostScript code as well as an optional preview image in TIFF, WMF, PICT or EPSI, the latter being an ASCII-only format.  guidance of $1.28 - $1.33 for fiscal 2007, excluding items impacting comparability, will need to be downwardly adjusted for the negative impact of the recent Peter Pan recall. The recall is the only reason for the downward revision. While the company is still quantifying the impact of the recall, its preliminary estimate is that the recall will create $50 million - $60 million, or $0.06 - $0.08 per share, of additional expense in the third quarter of the fiscal year. The company's fiscal 2007 EPS performance will likely be towards the low end of the range previously cited, taking into account the costs associated with the recall and the fact that several areas within the company are performing better than planned. The company will have more details about the financial impact of the recall with its third quarter earnings release on March 22, 2007.

* For the fiscal 2008-2010 forecast period, the company expects:

* sales growth of 2-3% annually, and

* earnings per share to accelerate to 8-10% annual growth, excluding items impacting comparability.

* Throughout the fiscal 2008-2010 forecast period, the company expects profit margin expansion as well as improvement in return on invested capital.

* The company's capital allocation policy considers share repurchases Share Repurchase

A program by which a company buys back its own shares from the marketplace, reducing the number of outstanding shares. This is usually an indication that the company's management thinks the shares are undervalued.
 to be the benchmark against which all other capital uses are measured. The company also notes that it values a healthy balance sheet and a healthy dividend.

The company's slide presentation and remarks are archived on the company's Web site at www.conagrafoods.com.

ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG), is one of North America's leading packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet, Chef Boyardee Ettore Boiardi (October 22, 1897 - June 21, 1985), better known as "Chef Boyardee," was an Italian-born chef who became famous for his eponymous brand of food products. History
Boiardi was born in Piacenza, Italy.
, Egg Beaters n. 1. a small device having one or usually two blades, each having several stiff oval wires at the tip. The blades are swirled or rotated for beating eggs or whipping cream. , Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, Reddi-wip, PAM and many others.

Regulation G Disclosure: Forward-looking FY07 EPS Reconciliation
[TABLE OMITTED]


Prior to consideration of any impact of the peanut butter recall, management expected H2 FY 07 diluted EPS, excluding comparability items, in the range of $0.62 to $0.67 per share. This includes approximately $0.01 per share from the impact of share repurchases. The timing and amount of items impacting comparability in the second half makes a more detailed reconciliation of expected FY07 diluted EPS impracticable. Management expects the peanut butter recall to result in $50 million to $60 million of increased expense in the fiscal third quarter, which is not reflected in the numbers shown above; management will provide a more detailed estimate of the impact with its third quarter earnings release on March 22, 2007.

Note on Forward-looking Statements forward-looking statement

A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections.
:

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and  of 1995. These statements are based on management's current views and assumptions of future events and financial performance and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. The company undertakes no responsibility for updating these statements. Readers of this release should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. Many factors could affect the company's actual financial results and cause them to vary materially from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, future economic circumstances, industry conditions, availability and prices of raw materials, product pricing, competitive environment and related market conditions, operating efficiencies, the company's ability to execute its operating and restructuring plans, the ultimate impact of the recent product recall, access to capital, actions of governments and regulatory factors affecting the company's businesses and other risks described in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements included in this release, which speak only as of the date made.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Feb 20, 2007
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