Is Campbell Soup Company Now a Value Stock?

Among multinational consumer packaged goods (CPG) corporations, Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) has counted as a laggard for a surprisingly long time. The company's 82% total return over the last 10 years is roughly half the 171% total return of the Consumer Staples Select Sector Fund, an ETF based on an index of S&P 500 consumer staples stocks (of which Campbell Soup is a member).

Lately, the company's woes seem even more pronounced: The stock is down 20% year to date, with half of the deterioration occurring last month, when management forecast another 12 months of flat to negative revenue growth in the new fiscal year, which began on July 31. It's not unreasonable to think that Campbell's shares might now be cheap. In this two-part article series, I'll look at the forces bearing down on the company's stock price, and whether patient bargain seekers should hazard a position.

Along with fellow food conglomerates, Campbell is struggling with multiple trends, which CEO Denise Morrison neatly summarized in the company's fiscal fourth-quarter 2017 earnings conference call on Aug. 31:

Source: Fool.com