Campbell'S
Through the investors’ lenses
Each of these investors has said in public what they look at before buying. Click a name to see how this company measures up — a tick where it passes one of their tests, a cross where it does not.
Warren Buffett 2/4
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner earnings | $610.00m | positive | ✓ |
| Return on equity | 15.4% | median 11.7% | ✓ |
| Debt to equity | 1.66x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
| Operating margin | 11.0% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
Passes 2 of 4. To be clear: Warren Buffett has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Terry Smith 2/4
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | 10.8% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
| Cash conversion | 1.88x | median 1.78x | ✓ |
| Operating margin | 11.0% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
| Debt to equity | 1.66x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
Passes 2 of 4. To be clear: Terry Smith has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Charlie Munger 2/3
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | 10.8% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
| Return on equity | 15.4% | median 11.7% | ✓ |
| Operating margin | 11.0% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
Passes 2 of 3. To be clear: Charlie Munger has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Chuck Akre 3/4
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 15.4% | median 11.7% | ✓ |
| Debt to equity | 1.66x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
| Cash conversion | 1.88x | median 1.78x | ✓ |
| Return on equity, sustained | 10 of 10 | 8 of 10 above median | ✓ |
Passes 3 of 4. To be clear: Chuck Akre has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Philip Fisher 1/4
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 11.0% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
| Net margin | 5.9% | median 10.2% | ✗ |
| Return on capital employed | 10.8% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
| Operating margin, held or improving | 11.0% | 10-yr median 12.7% | ✗ |
Passes 1 of 4. To be clear: Philip Fisher has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Walter Schloss 0/2
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current ratio | 0.77x | median 1.25x | ✗ |
| Debt to equity | 1.66x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
Passes 0 of 2. To be clear: Walter Schloss has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Benjamin Graham 1/2
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current ratio | 0.77x | 2.00x published | ✗ |
| Long-term debt to working capital | — | 1.00x published | — |
| Positive earnings, ten years running | 10 yrs | 10 published | ✓ |
Passes 1 of 2. To be clear: Benjamin Graham has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Joel Greenblatt 1/1
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | 10.8% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
Passes 1 of 1. To be clear: Joel Greenblatt has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Peter Lynch 0/2
| Measure | CPB | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to equity | 1.66x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
| Net margin | 5.9% | median 10.2% | ✗ |
Passes 0 of 2. To be clear: Peter Lynch has never said anything about Campbell'S. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
| Basis | Payout | Why |
|---|---|---|
| GAAP earnings | 76.6% | whyThe figure most screeners publish. |
| Operating cash flow | 40.6% | whyBefore capital spending. |
| Free cash flow | 65.1% | whyAfter maintaining the business. |
36 points between highest and lowest basis.
Coverage rating 50 / 100 — Tight. ? Peer standing 25/50Direction 10/30Stability 16/20
Free cash flow payout, last 6 years
| Fiscal year | Payout |
|---|---|
| 2025-08-03 | 65.1% |
| 2024-07-28 | 66.6% |
| 2023-07-30 | 57.8% |
| 2022-07-31 | 48.0% |
| 2021-08-01 | 57.8% |
| 2020-08-02 | 38.8% |
50% of the 38 consumer staples here pay out more.
The arithmetic
- GAAP earnings — dividends declared per share $1.54 ÷ diluted EPS $2.01
- Operating cash flow — dividends paid $459m ÷ operating cash flow $1,131m
- Free cash flow — dividends paid $459m ÷ (operating cash flow $1,131m − capex $426m)
Where the figures came from
- 10-K filed 2025-09-18 · accession 0000016732-25-000112
All public at sec.gov — you should not have to take our word for it.
Computed straight from SEC XBRL. A number that looks wrong to you is more useful to us than agreement — tell us.
What the free cash flow payout ratio measures, and where every company here sits on it.
Also on: rated tight · when it files.
When this changes
Every figure above is recomputed whenever Campbell'S files. The monthly letter carries what filed, what moved, and one finding computed across every company here.