Source:  Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 3//9/11

In advance of Smithfield Foods Inc.’s third-quarter conference call on Thursday, two equity analysts covering the company boosted their estimates for future earnings.

In a report to investors, Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam raised her fiscal 2011 operating earnings per share estimate to $2.75 from $2.65, and her fiscal 2012 estimate to $2.85, up from $2.48 per share. In a separate report, Heather Jones with BB&T Capital Markets increased her fiscal 2011 estimates to $3.04 per share from $2.73, and boosted her fiscal 2012 estimate to $2.06 from $1.80 per share.

Boosting the outlook for Smithfield are tight pork supplies globally and strong demand. The USDA projects world pork supplies to increase 2 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, China has increased its pork imports. In addition, the analysts credit Smithfield with tighter controls on operations and lower debt.

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