Last week, ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) raised its regular quarterly dividend by a 1 cent to 20 cents based on encouraging results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010. The company has decided to pay the dividend on Dec. 1 to shareholders of record Oct. 30. During the quarter, earnings excluding one-time items were 38 cents compared to 27 cents in the year-ago quarter. This was the above Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents. Total revenue was $2,961 million from $3,052 million in the year-ago quarter. The Consumer Foods segment posted sales of $1,860 million, up 1% year over year. Operating profit came to $250 million, up from $186 million in the last-year quarter. This segment accounted for 63% of total revenue in the first quarter. Sales in the Commercial Foods segment were $1,101 million, down 9% from the first quarter of fiscal year ...

Today before the market opened, ConAgra Foods, Inc. (CAG) reported encouraging results for the first quarter FY2010 ended August 30, 2009. Earnings excluding one-time items were 38 cents per share, compared to 27 cents in the year-ago quarter. It was the above Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents. Total revenue was $2,961 million from $3,052 million in the year-ago quarter. The consumer foods segment posted sales of $1,860 million, up 1% year over year and operating profit of $250 million, up from $186 million in the last year quarter. It accounts for 63% of the total revenue in the first quarter. Sales for the commercial foods segment were $1,101 million, down 9% from the first quarter of FY2009. The sales decline was the result of lower flour prices resulting from lower underlying wheat costs. The segment's operating profit was $141 million, 5% above the same ...