Dean Foods Company (DF): Today's Featured Food & Beverage Laggard

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Dean Foods Company (DF) pushed the Food & Beverage industry lower today making it today's featured Food & Beverage laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.3%. By the end of trading, Dean Foods Company fell 33 cents (-2.2%) to $14.65 on average volume. Throughout the day, 6.4 million shares of Dean Foods Company exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 4.6 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $14.28-$15.04 after having opened the day at $14.57 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $14.98. Other companies within the Food & Beverage industry that declined today were: Pilgrims Pride (PPC), down 6.7%, China Marine Food Group (CMFO), down 5.2%, Primo Water (PRMW), down 5.1%, and Reeds (REED), down 3%.

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Dean Foods Company operates as a food and beverage company in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Fresh Dairy Direct, WhiteWave-Alpro, and Morningstar. Dean Foods Company has a market cap of $2.78 billion and is part of the consumer goods sector. Shares are up 33.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are three analysts that rate Dean Foods Company a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and six rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Dean Foods Company as a sell. Among the areas we feel are negative, one of the most important has been poor profit margins.

• You can view the full Dean Ratings Report.

On the positive front, Crumbs Bake Shop (CRMB), up 13.1%, Tianli Agritech (OINK), up 8.8%, Limoneira (LMNR), up 6.1%, and Origin Agritech (SEED), up 4.1%, were all gainers within the food & beverage industry with Monster Beverage (MNST) being today's featured food & beverage industry leader.

• Use our food & beverage section to find industry-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the food & beverage industry could consider PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage (PBJ) while those bearish on the food & beverage industry could consider PowerShares DB Agriculture Sht ETN (ADZ).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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