On the stock market since 1994, it operates in the everyday-essentials business. It has 8,000 employees. Now — the numbers.
The company closed last year at a loss: costs ran above sales. The picture changes only if spending is reined in.
The biggest line carries real weight, but it doesn’t decide everything on its own.
Before the clock runs out, either sales must climb sharply or new money must come in. This is the most critical line in the whole picture.
Executives buying with their own money is usually read as confidence in the company’s future.
We compared this company with its own sector across five subjects.
A score of 50 means class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly below the class average.
This grade is a blend: the profit side is strong, the sales tempo slow.
The stock has been running stronger than the market lately.
Financial Strength: The cash-and-debt balance is thin; the buffer for hard times is slim.
Business Quality: Profit power and business quality trail similar companies in the sector.
The stock trades 24% below its peak. The market has trimmed its expectations for the company.
The company sells $9.1B a year; the problem isn’t sales — it’s costs running above that number.
It met or beat analyst expectations in 7 of the last 8 quarters — consistency is a promise kept.
Over the last 12 months, company executives reported 35 buys and 21 sells. Management buying with its own money is usually read as a good sign.
A loss of $138.7M against $9.1B in annual sales.
At the current pace of spending, the cash lasts less than a year. After that, the company needs to find new money.
On our five-subject report card, SJM sits behind the class. A low grade doesn’t mean “doomed” — it means “big claim, small proof.”
The takeaway: SJM has solid sales but closed last year at a loss. The road back to profit runs through spending discipline.
The total grade weighs these five subjects against the sector — it isn’t a simple average of the five.