TOP STORIES

NPC's Canceled Auctions Pave Way for Sale Of Wendy's, Pizza Hut Chains to Flynn

NPC International Inc., the nation's largest franchisee of Pizza Hut and Wendy's restaurants, canceled auctions for all of its assets last night, paving the way for a potential sale of the entire company to the Flynn Restaurant Group LLC.

Wendy's Co. has opposed the sale to Flynn, the largest restaurant franchisee in the U.S., and instead has made its own offer with a consortium of regional franchisees.

Franchised Companies Need To Attract Strong Operators -- Market Talk

12:29 ET - The relationship between corporate offices and store operators at companies using a franchised business model is facing fresh strains, in part due to the pandemic, according to a new WSJ report. Companies that rely on franchisees include publicly traded ones such as Choice Hotels International, restaurant chains including Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International and privately held companies, like those ultimately owned by private-equity firms including Roark Capital Group. "Within any company's franchised operation, if the economic model isn't effective for franchisees over time it will be harder to attract quality operators," James Keyes, a former chief executive of the 7-Eleven store chain, tells WSJ in an interview. (micah.maidenberg@wsj.com; @MicahMaidenberg)

STORIES OF INTEREST

Chipotle Testing Smoked Brisket At 64 Restaurants -- MarketWatch

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) said Monday that it is testing smoked brisket at 64 restaurants in Cincinnati and part of Sacramento, Calif., for a limited time. The item is going through the "stage-gate" process that brought items like queso blanco to the menu. Carne asada was another successful menu addition that was brought back this year . Chipotle stock has gained 55% for the year to date while the S&P 500 index is up 12.6% for the period.

Metro Inc. Recalls Various Items in Ontario Due to Salmonella Concerns

Metro Inc. recalled several items from stores in Ontario due to the possible presence of salmonella, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which said no related illnesses were reported.

Items on the recall list include Rainbow Trout Stuffed With Vegetable & Cheese, Cod Vegetable Roast and Tropical Green Juice, and several other items including meat, fish and spinach salads. The CFIA said it is conducting a food safety investigation that may lead to more recalls.

FUTURES MARKETS

Livestock Futures Mixed as Dryness Looks to Hurt Pastures -- Market Talk

15:27 ET - Dryness in the US Plains is starting to become a factor that may start to bite into the herd sizes of US livestock, particularly cattle, says Karl Setzer of AgriVisor. "If conditions do not improve in the near future, cattle producers may start to rethink their herd sizes. This is especially the case if feed grain values remain elevated," says Setzer. Livestock futures were mixed to close trading Monday, with hogs closing up 2% to 68.575 cents per pound, while live cattle futures finished down 0.3% to $1.12875 per pound. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com; @kirkmaltais)

CASH MARKETS 


 
Estimated U.S. Pork Packer Margin Index - Nov 30 
 
Source: USDA, based on Wall Street Journal calculations. 
All figures are on a per-head basis. 
 
Date     Standard Margin       Estimated margin 
         Operating Index         at vertically - 
                             integrated operations 
 
Nov 30       +$ 42.12            +$ 42.53 
Nov 27       +$ 43.06            +$ 42.91 
Nov 25       +$ 38.44            +$ 39.20 
 
* Based on Iowa State University's latest estimated cost of production. 
A positive number indicates a processing margin above the cost of 
production of the animals. 
 
Beef-O-Meter 
This report compares the USDA's latest beef carcass composite 
values as a percentage of their respective year-ago prices. 
 
                                  Beef 
          For Today              Choice  105.0 
      (Percent of Year-Ago)      Select  105.7 
 
USDA Boxed Beef, Pork Reports

Wholesale choice-grade beef prices Monday rose 83 cents per hundred pounds, to $243.68, according to the USDA. Select-grade prices rose $1.75 per hundred pounds, to $222.43. The total load count was 84. Wholesale pork prices fell 18 cents, to $78.85 a hundred pounds, based on Omaha, Neb., price quotes.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

11-30-20 1728ET