- Food stocks are in celebratory mood today after Hershey (HSY +6.6%) posted pleasing earnings results and Dean Foods is reported to be on the radar of Chinese beverage giant Hangzhou Wahaha Group.
- A lesser factor, but still a possible tailwind, was this morning's better-than-anticipated GDP print.
- Notable gainers include TreeHouse Foods (THS +1.2%), J M Smucker (SJM +2%), Post Holdings (POST +2%), Campbell Soup (CPB +2.5%), Pinnacle Foods (PF +1.6%), Hain Celestial (HAIN +1.3%), General Mills (GIS +1.6%) and Mondelez International (MDLZ +2.5%).
- The PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage ETF (NYSEARCA:PBJ) is up 1.12% to outpace broad market averages.