Treehouse Foods, Inc.

Companies highlighted in this weekly wrap include Treehouse Foods, Inc. (THS - Snapshot Report) Life Partners Holdings, Inc. (LPHI - Snapshot Report), Force Protection, Inc. (FRPT - Snapshot Report), Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK - Snapshot Report) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD - Analyst Report).

Treehouse Foods, Inc.'s (THS - Snapshot Report) share price has recently strengthened after finding a short-term bottom just above $24 in late December. The recent price strength comes on the heels of the company's strong third-quarter results, reported on Nov 3.

Third-Quarter Results

Sales were up 38% from last year to $374.6 million. Income came in at $11.1 million, up from $10.6 million last year. This produced earnings of 41 cents per share, ahead of estimates by one penny.

After the solid quarter, Treehouse went ahead and affirmed its 2008 profit guidance, saying it still expects to earn between $1.50 and $1.55 per share. Analyst estimates have held up since then, with the current-year estimate pegged at $1.57 per share.

The CEO Speaks

The food industry has held up relatively well in a choppy the choppy economic environment of the last 18 months, and Treehouse CEO Sam Reed believes this dynamic will continue to hold up moving forward, saying, "We are increasingly optimistic about the fundamentals of the food business in general, and private label in particular, and expect that our organic growth will continue to show consistent increases over the remainder of the year and into 2009."

Analyst Estimates

Analyst estimates have been resilient in the face of much adversity, with the current-year estimate up a penny in the last 2 months to $1.57 per share. The next-year estimate is bullish, standing at $1.76, a 13% earnings growth projection.

The Chart

As previously mentioned, shares of THS have been moving higher since bottoming out in late December. Take a look at the chart below.

Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc.'s (MDRX - Analyst Report) share price has been on a nice rally since late October, as the company believes it is well positioned to capitalize on the Obama administration's desire to advance information technology within the healthcare sector. Read Full Article.

Force Protection, Inc.'s (FRPT - Snapshot Report) share price has more than doubled in just the last 2 months after beginning a steady trend higher in mid November. The current-year estimate is up to 58 cents per share, more than a 400% earnings growth projection. Read Full Article.

Alaska Air Group, Inc.'s (ALK - Snapshot Report) share price has been on a nice rally since early October in response to falling energy prices. Analysts are bullish on the company, with the next-year estimate projecting substantial earnings growth. Read Full Article.

Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s (GILD - Analyst Report) share price continues to head north in response to higher estimates related to the strength of the company's HIV drug franchise. Read Full Article.