The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Tucker Marshall: Rob, good morning. We’re early innings of our planning process for next fiscal year. But as we outlined at CAGNY last week, we do expect some volume mix tailwinds in the portfolio through momentum across the Uncrustables portfolio or brand. And as we think about other elements of the portfolio within coffee and within pet, and we’ll have the opportunity to share more of that on our fourth quarter earnings call here in June. And as we think about free cash flow, as you know, we have a $1 billion target or ambition. We may trend a bit low to that free cash flow target because we continue to have accelerated or elevated capital expenditures associated with our ongoing investment for capacity with the Uncrustables brand.

Robert Moskow: Got it. And maybe you’ve answered this before, but the $700 million in cash you’ll get from the dog food divestiture, do you intend to spend all of that on share repo?

Tucker Marshall: We anticipate using the $700 million to replace the divested earnings per share.

Robert Moskow: Okay. Vague, but, we can follow-up. All right. Well, thank you.

Operator: Thank you. Next question is coming from Steve Powers from Deutsche Bank. Your line is now live.

Steve Powers: Thanks and good morning.

Tucker Marshall: Good morning.

Steve Powers: Maybe just to go back to the 3Q versus 4Q. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you had said last quarter that you expected the fourth quarter EPS to be up about 10% year-over-year. I think the guidance implies now kind of a range of 2 to 11. The $0.05 you called out that shifted from 3Q to 4Q equates to about 2% of that. So I’m just €“ can you put those numbers in context and because I’m struggling to understand the full drivers of the €“ what now wider range in 4Q acknowledging the $0.05 shift?

Tucker Marshall: Yes. I think one of the things that you have to consider is the supply chain disruption, primarily in the pet portfolio associated with the Meow Mix brand, so that might leave you a little bit short in your model from both the topline and bottom line standpoint.

Steve Powers: Okay. And the other question unrelated is just on the Dunkin’ brands, where you cited greater elasticity in that premium segment. Maybe just a little bit more commentary around what you’ve seen so far and how you expect that to improve going forward because the commentary suggests you do expect it to improve, but just wanted to hear a little bit more on that?

Mark Smucker: Sure. I think just a macro comment, first of all, Steve, is that it validates our “full portfolio” strategy, participating in all the segments. Obviously, where there is a little bit of shifting, Folgers clearly benefited this quarter. So it validates the fact that we’re playing in all of these segments broadly across the value spectrum of the category. So that’s definitely a good thing. The other thing that’s good is that although the growth is a bit more modest in the last two quarters, it’s €“ the brand still grew. And so €“ which is great news. And I think we referenced last quarter just there was just some relative pricing, relative price points that we have work to correct. And so over the next couple of quarters, we would expect to see the growth on Dunkin’ continue to accelerate.

Steve Powers: Okay, thank you. That’s confirming. Appreciate it.

Mark Smucker: Thank you.

Operator: Thank you. Next question today is coming from Pamela Kaufman from Morgan Stanley. Your line is now live.

Pamela Kaufman: Hi. Good morning.

Mark Smucker: Good morning.