BGS · Consumer staples(food and kindred products) · 10 years of annual accounts filed with the SEC · latest fiscal year ended 2026-01-03
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B&G Foods, Inc. reported revenue of $1.8 billion in fiscal 2026, after growing 3.2% a year over the previous 9 years. Its operating margin narrowed from 18.4% in 2016 to 5.3%, and it earned 4.4% on its invested capital in the latest year. Of the $1.4 billion its operations generated over 10 years, 88.9% went to acquisitions and 71.1% to dividends; the share count rose 25.8%. On the accounting screens, it passes 4 of 9 Piotroski tests, its Altman Z'' of 2.13 is in the grey zone and its Beneish M-score is below the -1.78 line; 3 of the six cross-checks between its statements fire.
Revenue, fiscal 20261.8B+3.2% a year over 9 years
Operating margin5.3%gross margin 21.8%
Return on invested capital4.4%1.5% on average over 5 years
Free cash flow after stock pay57.4M3.1% of revenue
Net debt ÷ EBITDA11.6×net debt 1.9B
Piotroski F-score4/9tests of improvement passed
Is it growing?
Revenue and the operating income it turns into. Growth that does not reach operating income is growth bought with margin.
RevenueOperating income
-1.0B01.0B2.0B3.0B
2016Revenue 1.4BOperating income 252.8M
2017Revenue 1.6BOperating income 237.9M
2018Revenue 1.7BOperating income 340.2M
2019Revenue 1.7BOperating income 203.8M
2021Revenue 2.0BOperating income 276.4M
2022Revenue 2.1BOperating income 196.1M
2022Revenue 2.2BOperating income 98.6M
2023Revenue 2.1BOperating income 80.4M
2024Revenue 1.9BOperating income -177.3M
2026Revenue 1.8BOperating income 97.1M
2016201720182019202120222022202320242026
Compound growth a year
3 yrs
5 yrs
9 yrs
Revenue
-5.4%
-1.5%
+3.2%
Operating income
-0.5%
-18.9%
-10.1%
Free cash flow per share
—
-25.8%
-15.2%
Dividend per share
-26.2%
-16.6%
-7.9%
Shares
+4.2%
+4.3%
+2.6%
Falling shares are buybacks: each remaining share owns more of the company.
Does it earn more than its capital costs?
Margins say how much of each sale is kept; return on invested capital says how much the business earns on the money it needs to operate. Growth only creates value when that return is above the cost of the capital.
Return on invested capitalCost of capital today · 7.3%
-10.0%-5.0%0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%
2016Return on invested capital 6.2%
2017Return on invested capital 4.1%
2018Return on invested capital 10.4%
2019Return on invested capital 5.5%
2021Return on invested capital 6.5%
2022Return on invested capital 4.4%
2022Return on invested capital 4.2%
2023Return on invested capital 2.8%
2024Return on invested capital -8.6%
2026Return on invested capital 4.4%
2016201720182019202120222022202320242026
Economic profit
Economic profit
-600.0M-400.0M-200.0M0200.0M
2016Economic profit -27.9M
2017Economic profit -100.7M
2018Economic profit 77.8M
2019Economic profit -50.0M
2021Economic profit -26.3M
2022Economic profit -92.6M
2022Economic profit -100.8M
2023Economic profit -129.6M
2024Economic profit -406.3M
2026Economic profit -69.9M
2016201720182019202120222022202320242026
(return on capital − cost of capital) × capital invested: the profit left after paying for the money used. Today's cost of capital is applied to every year, since a past one cannot be rebuilt honestly.
Return on equity
-9.6%
Return on assets
-1.5%
Asset turnover
0.65×
Overheads (SG&A)
10.7% of revenue
Is the profit cash, and where does the cash go?
Net income is an accounting opinion; free cash flow is what was left in the bank after investing. Stock-based pay does not leave the bank — shareholders pay it through dilution — so it is shown taken off as well.
Net incomeFree cash flowAfter stock-based pay
-400.0M-200.0M0200.0M400.0M
2016Net income 109.4MFree cash flow 247.2MAfter stock-based pay 241.4M
2017Net income 217.5MFree cash flow -22.0MAfter stock-based pay -26.6M
2018Net income 172.4MFree cash flow 167.8MAfter stock-based pay 164.8M
2019Net income 76.4MFree cash flow 4.1MAfter stock-based pay 1.6M
2021Net income 132.0MFree cash flow 254.7MAfter stock-based pay 244.1M
2022Net income 67.4MFree cash flow 50.3MAfter stock-based pay 44.9M
2022Net income -11.4MFree cash flow -16.3MAfter stock-based pay -20.2M
2023Net income -66.2MFree cash flow 222.1MAfter stock-based pay 214.9M
2024Net income -251.3MFree cash flow 103.7MAfter stock-based pay 95.0M
2026Net income -43.3MFree cash flow 70.7MAfter stock-based pay 57.4M
2016201720182019202120222022202320242026
Where 10 years of operating cash went, 2016–2026
1.4B generated by the business. Each band is its share of that total.
Reinvested in the business 25%362.4M
Acquisitions 89%1.3B
Dividends 71%1.0B
Share buybacks 4%61.6M
More than it generated: funded with cash or new debt -89%-1.3B
Over the same years it paid 65.1M in stock. The share count rose 25.8%. The buybacks did not even cover what was handed out in stock.
Per share
Earnings per shareFree cash flow per shareDividend per share
$-4.00$-2.00$0.00$2.00$4.00
2016Earnings per share $1.73Free cash flow per share $3.90Dividend per share $1.59
2017Earnings per share $3.26Free cash flow per share $-0.33Dividend per share $1.85
2018Earnings per share $2.60Free cash flow per share $2.53Dividend per share $1.88
2019Earnings per share $1.17Free cash flow per share $0.06Dividend per share $1.90
2021Earnings per share $2.04Free cash flow per share $3.95Dividend per share $1.89
2022Earnings per share $1.02Free cash flow per share $0.77Dividend per share $1.87
2022Earnings per share $-0.16Free cash flow per share $-0.23Dividend per share $1.89
2023Earnings per share $-0.89Free cash flow per share $2.99Dividend per share $0.75
2024Earnings per share $-3.18Free cash flow per share $1.31Dividend per share $0.76
2026Earnings per share $-0.54Free cash flow per share $0.89Dividend per share $0.76
2016201720182019202120222022202320242026
Shares outstanding
Diluted shares
60.0M65.0M70.0M75.0M80.0M
2016Diluted shares 63.4M
2017Diluted shares 66.7M
2018Diluted shares 66.3M
2019Diluted shares 65.0M
2021Diluted shares 64.6M
2022Diluted shares 65.7M
2022Diluted shares 70.5M
2023Diluted shares 74.3M
2024Diluted shares 79.0M
2026Diluted shares 79.8M
2016201720182019202120222022202320242026
How strong is the balance sheet?
Debt is not bad in itself; debt the business cannot service in a bad year is. Net debt is debt minus cash, and below zero the company holds more cash than it owes.
Net debt
01.0B2.0B3.0B
2016Net debt 1.7B
2017Net debt 2.0B
2018Net debt 1.6B
2019Net debt 1.9B
2021Net debt 2.3B
2022Net debt 2.2B
2022Net debt 2.3B
2023Net debt 2.0B
2024Net debt 2.0B
2026Net debt 1.9B
2016201720182019202120222022202320242026
Net debt ÷ EBITDA
11.6×
Interest coverage
— operating income ÷ interest
Current ratio
3.32 current assets ÷ current liabilities
Cash conversion cycle
108 days collects in 28d, stock 107d, pays in 27d
Three classic screens of the accounts
Each asks a different question of the same statements — is it improving, does it look like a company heading for distress, do the accounts resemble ones that were manipulated. None is a verdict; each shows what moves it.
Piotroski F-score
Is the business improving? Nine yes-or-no tests, this year against last.
4of 9 tests passed
✕ProfitableReturn on assets above zerofailed
✓Cash from operationsOperating cash flow above zeropassed
✓Profitability improvedReturn on assets higher than a year beforepassed
✓Profit backed by cashOperating cash flow above net income (low accruals)passed
✕Less long-term debtLong-term debt as a share of assets fellfailed
✓More liquidCurrent ratio higher than a year beforepassed
✕No new sharesShare count did not growfailed
✕Better gross marginGross margin higher than a year beforefailed
✕Sells more per assetAsset turnover higher than a year beforefailed
Where it misleads: it measures change, not level. An excellent business that stood still for a year scores low; a poor one recovering from a disaster scores high.
Altman Z''-score
Does the balance sheet look like those of companies that went bankrupt?
2.13grey zone
1.12.6
Working capital ÷ assets 0.18 × 6.56+1.20
Retained earnings ÷ assets 0.15 × 3.26+0.50
Operating income ÷ assets 0.03 × 6.72+0.23
Equity ÷ liabilities 0.19 × 1.05+0.20
Where it misleads: buybacks. A company that returns so much cash that its equity turns small or negative sinks the last two ratios without being anywhere near bankruptcy. Banks and insurers do not fit the model at all.
Beneish M-score
Do the accounts resemble those of companies that manipulated their earnings?
-2.92below the -1.78 line
-1.78
Receivables vs sales 0.86+0.79
Gross margin slipping 1.00+0.53
Soft assets 1.01+0.41
Sales growth 0.95+0.84
Slower depreciation 0.96+0.11
Overheads vs sales 1.10-0.19
Profit not in cash -0.05-0.24
Leverage rising 1.02-0.33
Where it misleads: fast growth and acquisitions. Sales growth carries a heavy weight, so a company growing 50% a year scores like a suspect without having done anything. It is a screen from a 1999 study, not an accusation.
Where the statements disagree
Cross-checks between the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow for the latest year, each with the benign reading and the worrying one.
Capital spending (31M) is well below depreciation (66M).
Benign
Mature assets, or a business that has become less capital-intensive.
Worrying
Under-investing: today's profit is being held up by consuming tomorrow's capacity.
The effective tax rate is -9.4%.
Benign
A favourable geographic mix, or legitimate tax credits.
Worrying
Not sustainable; projecting it forward inflates the valuation.
Net debt is 11.6 times EBITDA.
Benign
A stable sector with predictable cash flows and comfortable maturities.
Worrying
Little room if earnings fall; the maturity schedule is what to check.
What is it worth, under which assumptions?
A company is worth the cash it will generate, brought back to today. This model projects revenue with growth that fades over the years, applies a free cash flow margin, and discounts the result at the cost of capital. Every assumption says where it came from, and all of them can be changed.
Value per share, with these assumptions$1.13discounted at 7.3% a year · 62% of it from after year 10
Type a share price on the left to ask the reverse questions: what growth, what margin or what discount rate that price implies.
What the value implies, in the usual multiples
At this model's value
Price ÷ earnings
—
Enterprise value ÷ EBITDA
12.1×
Enterprise value ÷ revenue
1.1×
Free cash flow yield
63.9%
From cash flows to a value per share
10 years of cash flow, today760.3M
Everything after, today1.2B
The whole business2.0B
Minus net debt-1.9B
What belongs to shareholders89.9M
Divided among 79.8M shares: <strong>$1.13</strong> each.
The projection next to its history
Reported free cash flow after stock pay, then the model's. A projection that looks nothing like the past needs a reason.
ReportedProjected
-100.0M0100.0M200.0M300.0M
2016Reported 241.4M
2017Reported -26.6M
2018Reported 164.8M
2019Reported 1.6M
2021Reported 244.1M
2022Reported 44.9M
2022Reported -20.2M
2023Reported 214.9M
2024Reported 95.0M
2026Reported 57.4M
2027Projected 109.7M
2028Projected 108.5M
2029Projected 107.9M
2030Projected 107.7M
2031Projected 108.0M
2032Projected 108.8M
2033Projected 110.0M
2034Projected 111.8M
2035Projected 114.1M
2036Projected 116.9M
2016201820212022202420272029203120332035
Year by year
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
Revenue
1.8B
1.8B
1.8B
1.8B
1.8B
1.8B
1.8B
1.8B
1.9B
1.9B
Growth
-1.5%
-1.1%
-0.6%
-0.2%
0.3%
0.7%
1.2%
1.6%
2.1%
2.5%
Cash margin
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
6.1%
Free cash flow
109.7M
108.5M
107.9M
107.7M
108.0M
108.8M
110.0M
111.8M
114.1M
116.9M
Worth today
102.2M
94.2M
87.2M
81.1M
75.8M
71.1M
67.1M
63.5M
60.4M
57.6M
If the least-known inputs move
Value per share as two inputs change at a time. Neighbouring cells that differ a lot are the conclusion: the value depends on numbers nobody knows to a point.
The discount rate and growth forever
discount ↓ · forever →
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
6.3%
2
4
7
11
17
6.8%
-0
2
4
7
11
7.3%
-2
-1
1
3
6
7.8%
-4
-3
-1
1
3
8.3%
-5
-4
-3
-2
0
Year-one growth and the final margin
margin ↓ · growth →
-5.5%
-3.5%
-1.5%
0.5%
2.5%
4.9%
-6
-5
-3
-1
1
5.5%
-5
-3
-1
1
3
6.1%
-3
-1
1
3
6
6.7%
-1
1
3
6
8
7.3%
0
3
5
8
11
All the inputs moving at once
4,997 valuations, each with growth, final margin, discount rate and growth forever drawn at random around the values on the left (spreads of 3.0%, 2.0%, 1.0% and 0.5%). Not a probability — the spreads are assumptions too — but an honest picture of how wide the answer is.
10th percentile$-8.67
Median$1.04
90th percentile$16.53
$0.00$20.00$40.00
Half of the simulations land between <b>$-4.36</b> and <b>$8.24</b>; one in ten below $-8.67, one in ten above $16.53.
Does the long run make sense?
14.5×The terminal value prices the business in year 10 at 14.5 times that year's EBITDA.
Free growthIn year 10 free cash flow is at or above after-tax operating profit, yet the model grows 2.5% forever. Growth needs reinvestment; this assumes it comes for free, which flatters the terminal value.
62%of the value comes from after year 10. The more of it, the more the answer depends on the part nobody can see.
Every Form 4 filed in the last twelve months, read line by line: 6 filings by 4 people. Open-market purchases and sales are counted apart from awards, option exercises and shares withheld for taxes.
Bought on the open market$18,0001 purchase(s) by 1 insider(s)
Sold on the open market—none in the period
Under pre-arranged plans—of the sales followed a 10b5-1 plan set months earlier
A Form 4 says what happened, when, how many shares and at what price. It does not say why: a sale can be diversification, a tax bill or a plan fixed months earlier, and an award is pay, not a purchase. Nothing here is a reason to buy or sell anything.
Companies like this one
Same SEC industry (food and kindred products) first, then the rest of consumer staples.
Accounts from the company's own SEC filings; lines some companies do not report are shown as a dash rather than estimated. The risk-free rate is the 10-year US Treasury yield. A DCF is a way of making assumptions explicit, not a forecast: it states what the company would be worth if the assumptions held. The scores are screens that point where to look, not verdicts. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.