Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) reported Q2 EPS of $0.42, in-line with the analyst estimate of $0.42. Revenue for the quarter came in at $2.42 billion versus the consensus estimate of $2.37 billion.

EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY AND OUTLOOK:

"As a global branded food company, we play a critical role in providing safe, high-quality food during this challenging time," said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer. "I am incredibly proud of the heroic efforts of our production professionals, who have risen to the challenge and continue to produce food with a sense of purpose and pride. Our commitment is to ensure every Hormel Foods employee is safe and healthy and can continue to meet the needs of our customers and consumers."

"Our financial results this quarter demonstrate the value of our balanced business model and our team's ability to react to a rapidly changing environment," Snee said. "We continue to excel and gain market share in channels that are open and available to us, namely the retail channel. We know consumers are looking for trusted brands, and we will continue investing in our leading brands such as SPAM®, SKIPPY®, Jennie-O®, Hormel® Natural Choice® and Applegate®. Our strong balance sheet and stable cash flows give us the confidence to lean into our business and make the right long-term decisions for our team members, suppliers, customers and shareholders. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic shift in consumer behavior, operational disruptions and extreme volatility in raw material markets, we remain financially strong and well-positioned to weather the pandemic."

In the second quarter, the company absorbed approximately $20 million in incremental supply chain costs primarily related to lower production volumes, employee bonuses and enhanced safety measures in its production facilities. The company expects to absorb another $60-$80 million in the second half of the year, weighted primarily to the third quarter. The majority of the increased costs are expected to be temporary.

"Our leadership team has extensive experience effectively managing through volatile input cost markets and changes in consumer behavior, but we have always done so with a fully functioning supply chain across the industry," Snee said. "The COVID-19 pandemic has created industry uncertainty as to whether we will experience further interruptions. Additionally, the foodservice industry is in the very early stages of a recovery, and we are actively monitoring the pace and magnitude of this recovery. As a result of this uncertainty, we are withdrawing our full-year sales and earnings guidance."

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