Hillshire Brands Co gross margin has been in long term decline. The average rate of decline per year is -6.4%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin % or its related term are showing as below:
LSE:HSH'
s Gross Margin % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 27.67 Med: 38.7 Max: 45.88
Current: 28.52
During the past 13 years, the highestGross Margin % of Hillshire Brands Co was 45.88%. The lowest was 27.67%. And the median was 38.70%.
LSE:HSH's Gross Margin % is not ranked
in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry.
Industry Median: 25.085
vs LSE:HSH: 28.52
Hillshire Brands Co had a gross margin of 27.63% for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2014 => Competition eroding margins
The 5-Year average Growth Rate of Gross Margin for Hillshire Brands Co was -6.40% per year.
Hillshire Brands Co Gross Margin % Historical Data
The historical data trend for Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Competitive Comparison of Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin %
For the Packaged Foods subindustry, Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Gross Margin % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin % Distribution in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin % falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
A positive Gross Profit is only the first step for a company to make a net profit. The gross profit needs to be big enough to also cover related labor, equipment, rental, marketing/advertising, research and development and a lot of other costs in selling the products.
Hillshire Brands Co (LSE:HSH) Gross Margin % Explanation
Warren Buffett believes that firms with excellent long term economics tend to have consistently higher margins.
Durable competitive advantage creates a high Gross Margin % because of the freedom to price in excess of cost. Companies can be categorized by their Gross Margin %
1. Greater than 40% = Durable competitive advantage
2. Less than 40% = Competition eroding margins
3. Less than 20% = no sustainable competitive advantage
Consistency of Gross Margin is key
Hillshire Brands Co had a gross margin of 27.63% for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2014 => Competition eroding margins
Be Aware
If a company loses its competitive advantages, usually its gross margin declines well before its sales declines. Watching Gross Margin % and Operating Margin % closely helps avoid value trap situations.
Hillshire Brands Co Gross Margin % Related Terms
Thank you for viewing the detailed overview of Hillshire Brands Co's Gross Margin % provided by GuruFocus.com. Please click on the following links to see related term pages.
Hillshire Brands Co (LSE:HSH) Business Description
Hillshire Brands Co was organized as a corporation in Baltimore, Maryland in 1941 as The C.D. Kenny Company, was renamed Sara Lee Corporation in 1985 and adopted its current name in June 2012. It is a manufacturer and marketer of food products. It provides meat-centric food solutions for the retail and foodservice markets. The Company's Brands' portfolio includes iconic brands such as Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, State Fair, Sara Lee frozen bakery and Chef Pierre pies, as well as artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame. Its operations are organized around two business segments - Retail and Foodservice/Other. Retail sells a variety of packaged meat and frozen bakery products to retail customers in North America. Products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, breakfast convenience items, including breakfast sandwiches and bowls, dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats and cooked hams, as well as frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes and other desserts. The primary raw materials for the segment's products include pork and beef, which are purchased almost entirely from third party suppliers and independent farmers, and poultry. The branded meat business is highly competitive, with an emphasis on product quality, innovation and value. New product innovations are a key component to its success. The Retail segment competes with other international, national, regional and local companies in each of the product categories. Foodservice/Other sells a variety of meat and bakery products to foodservice customers in North America. Products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages and sandwiches, dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats, ham, beef and turkey as well as a variety of bakery products, including pastries, muffins, frozen pies, cakes and cheesecakes. The primary raw materials for Foodservice/Other's products include pork, beef and poultry and, to a lesser extent, wheat flour, sugar, corn syrup, cooking oils, butter, fruit and eggs, which are purchased from independent suppliers and farmers. The Foodservice/Other segment competes with other international, national, regional and local companies in each of its product categories. It considers major mass retailers and supermarket chains in the United States to be its most significant customers. The Company is subject to regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
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