Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q2 behind us, let’s have a look at Post (NYSE:POST) and its peers.

As America industrialized and moved away from an agricultural economy, people faced more demands on their time. Packaged foods emerged as a solution offering convenience to the evolving American family, whether it be canned goods or snacks. Today, Americans seek brands that are high in quality, reliable, and reasonably priced. Furthermore, there's a growing emphasis on health-conscious and sustainable food options. Packaged food stocks are considered resilient investments. People always need to eat, so these companies can enjoy consistent demand as long as they stay on top of changing consumer preferences. The industry spans from multinational corporations to smaller specialized firms and is subject to food safety and labeling regulations.

The 21 shelf-stable food stocks we track reported a mixed Q2. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.9% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.

Inflation progressed towards the Fed’s 2% goal at the end of 2023, leading to strong stock market performance. On the other hand, 2024 has been a bumpier ride as the market switches between optimism and pessimism around rate cuts and inflation. Thankfully, shelf-stable food stocks have been resilient with share prices up 6.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

Post (NYSE:POST)

Founded in 1895, Post (NYSE:POST) is a packaged food company known for its namesake breakfast cereal and healthier-for-you snacks.

Post reported revenues of $1.95 billion, up 4.7% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 3.4%, but it was still a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ gross margin and earnings estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $115.08.

Is now the time to buy Post? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: BellRing Brands (NYSE:BRBR)

Spun out of Post Holdings in 2019, Bellring Brands (NYSE:BRBR) offers protein shakes, nutrition bars, and other products under the PowerBar, Premier Protein, and Dymatize brands.

BellRing Brands reported revenues of $515.4 million, up 15.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ gross margin and organic revenue growth estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 15.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $57.24.