CAMDEN (dpa-AFX) - Soup maker Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) posted first-quarter net earnings attributable to the company of $234 million, or $0.74 per share, compared to $172 million, or $0.54 per share, last year.
Excluding items, adjusted earnings were $0.74 per share, up from $0.66 per share last year. On average, 15 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of $0.72 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.
Quarterly net sales grew 4 percent to $2.26 billion from the prior year's $2.17 billion, while organic sales decreased by 2 percent. Twelve analysts estimated $2.22 billion in sales for the quarter.
For fiscal 2015, the company now expects adjusted per-share earnings of $2.42 to $2.50 per share and growth of 0 to 2 percent in sales. Analysts now expect earnings of $2.47 per share.
Earlier, the company expected adjusted per-share earnings to grow by 0 to 2 percent, or $2.45 to $2.50 per share and sales growth of 1 to 2 percent.
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