Stock Blog Hub » Consumer Goods

(KFT) Investing in Emerging Market Multinationals

InvestmentU — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:23:34 +0000

As a student in Tokyo, I played on a talented U.S. Embassy basketball team full of Marine embassy guards. While we were mowing down every opponent, I noticed that the Japanese referees tried very hard to even things out by calling fouls on us every chance they got. For example, a blocked shot was always [...]

(KFT) Investing in Emerging Market Multinationals

(K) Kellogg Earnings Report Exceeds – Affirms Outlook

vitalstocks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:21:35 +0000

Kellogg Company (K) has posted fourth-quarter 2011 earnings of 64 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. The earnings also exceeded the prior-year earnings of 51 cents per share by 25%. In fiscal 2011, earnings of $3.38 per share also surpassed both the Zacks Consensus Estimate by one cent and the [...]

(K) Kellogg Earnings Report Exceeds – Affirms Outlook

(IP) International Paper and Temple-Inland Extend Review Time

vitalstocks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:10:13 +0000

The International Paper (IP) – Temple-Inland (TIN) merger has been delayed as both parties have agreed to extend the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) review period till February 13, 2012. The extended timeline will provide both parties the time to resolve DOJ’s concerns regarding the transaction and enter into a definitive agreement on terms that are acceptable [...]

(IP) International Paper and Temple-Inland Extend Review Time

(KFT) Kraft Foods Trims Jobs – Projects Profits

vitalstocks — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:36:31 +0000

As Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) moves ahead with its spin-off plan, the company plans to slash the jobs of about 1,600 employees in North America in the year 2012. According to Kraft, the move was imperative for the smooth running of its businesses. The company also projects higher profits than its earlier forecast for the [...]

(KFT) Kraft Foods Trims Jobs – Projects Profits

(PG) Procter & Gamble Results Come Up Short on Charges

vitalstocks — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:35:47 +0000

Procter & Gamble Co.(PG) reported modest results for the second quarter 2012, with net earnings from continuing operations sliding 49.0% year over year to 57 cents a share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 47.22%. Profits were limited due to non-core charges of 53 cents per share including a one-time 50 cents per share non-cash [...]

(PG) Procter & Gamble Results Come Up Short on Charges

(UA) Under Armour Beats Estimates

vitalstocks — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:22:12 +0000

Under Armour, Inc. (UA), one of the leading developers, marketers and distributors of branded sports apparel, footwear and accessories, recently posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter 2011 results. The company outdid the expectations on the back of healthy apparel, footwear, accessories and direct-to-consumer businesses. The quarterly earnings of 62 cents a share moved ahead of the Zacks Consensus [...]

(UA) Under Armour Beats Estimates

(JAKK) JAKKS Pacific – Bear of the Day

vitalstocks — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:20:43 +0000

Challenging holiday sales hit JAKKS Pacific (JAKK) badly, which consequently made the company cut its fiscal 2011 guidance. The labor shortage in Asia and an increase in input costs also remained a drag on the stock. An underperformance in the third quarter’s top and bottom line makes us cautious on the stock. Hence, we downgrade [...]

(JAKK) JAKKS Pacific – Bear of the Day

(F) Ford Motor Misses Earnings – Revenues Up 6.5%

vitalstocks — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:48:50 +0000

Ford Motor Co. (F) posted a 34% fall in profit to $797 million or 20 cents per share (before special items) in the fourth quarter of 2011 from $1.20 billion or 30 cents per share (before special items) in the same quarter of 2010. With this, the automaker has missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by [...]

(F) Ford Motor Misses Earnings – Revenues Up 6.5%

(BMS) Company News for January 26, 2012 – Corporate Summary

vitalstocks — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:07:17 +0000

• Manufacturer of flexible packaging products Bemis Co.’s (NYSE:BMS) shares rose 6% to end the day at $31.79 after the company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits • Share prices of WellPoint Inc. (NSYE:WLP) retreated 4.76% after the health insurer said it expects its 2012 earnings to come in below the Street’s expectations • Specialty glass maker [...]

(BMS) Company News for January 26, 2012 – Corporate Summary

(UA) Under Armour Earnings Preview

vitalstocks — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:04:10 +0000

Under Armour Inc. (UA), one of the leading developers, marketers and distributors of branded sports apparel, footwear and accessories, is slated to report its fourth-quarter 2011 financial results on January 26, 2012. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is 60 cents per share. Revenue as per the Zacks Consensus Estimate is $402 million. [...]

(UA) Under Armour Earnings Preview

(F) Ford Motor Cuts Lincoln Dealerships

vitalstocks — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:54:34 +0000

Ford Motor Co. (F) announced that it has reduced dealerships of its Lincoln luxury lineup to 325 from about 500 in the top 130 markets, where demand for luxury products is very strong. With the reduction in dealer count, dealers will compete less with each other and more with the same of other luxury lineups [...]

(F) Ford Motor Cuts Lincoln Dealerships

(MWV) MeadWestvaco Impacted by Weak Demand

vitalstocks — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:40:19 +0000

MeadWestvaco Corporation (MWV) announced that it expects pre-tax income from its business segments (before Corporate and other) in the range of $150 to $160 million for the fourth quarter of 2011. For the full year 2011, the company expects pre-tax income in the range of $835 million to $845 million. Meanwhile, free cash flow from [...]

(MWV) MeadWestvaco Impacted by Weak Demand

(CROX) Crocs Set to Hit Revenues of a Billion Dollars in 2011

vitalstocks — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:24:46 +0000

Shoe manufacturer Crocs Inc (CROX) recently announced that it expects to achieve the higher end of its revenue guidance of $200 million to $205 million for the fourth quarter of 2011, based on the solid performance of retail business. Thus, the Niwot, Colorado-based company expects to post revenues of more than $1 billion for fiscal [...]

(CROX) Crocs Set to Hit Revenues of a Billion Dollars in 2011

(IP) International Paper Company – Bull of the Day

vitalstocks — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:21:42 +0000

International Paper Co.’s (IP) third quarter EPS of $0.92 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company continues with its merger and acquisition strategy to strengthen its businesses. The merger with Temple-Inland will increase its share of the North American corrugated-packaging market from 27% to 40% and will be accretive to EPS in the first year. [...]

(IP) International Paper Company – Bull of the Day

(PC) Decline in PC Shipments Continues

vitalstocks — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:39:19 +0000

Personal Computer (PC) shipments continue to struggle as research firms Gartner and IDC reported a decline in PC shipments for the fourth quarter of 2011. Gartner and IDC estimate 1.4% and 0.2% declines in worldwide PC shipments, respectively in the fourth quarter. Worldwide PC shipments for the fourth quarter were in the range of 92 [...]

(PC) Decline in PC Shipments Continues

(DMND) Company News for January 16, 2012 – Corporate Summary

vitalstocks — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:35:42 +0000

• Shares of JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) declined 2.5% after the company reported its fourth quarter earnings per share of $0.90, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.92 • According to The Wall Street Journal, federal prosecutors were inquiring if the financial practices of Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:DMND) involved criminal fraud. Shares [...]

(DMND) Company News for January 16, 2012 – Corporate Summary

(F) Ford Recalls Minivans and SUVs

vitalstocks — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:46:01 +0000

Ford Motor Co. (F) announced that it would recall 539,000 vehicles including Ford Escape SUVs, and Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans because of safety issues. Most of the recalled vehicles were sold in the U.S. The automaker would recall 286,000 units of Ford Escape SUVs from the 2001 and 2002 model years due to [...]

(F) Ford Recalls Minivans and SUVs

(F) U.S. Auto Industry Sees Best Year Since 2008

vitalstocks — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:30:06 +0000

Light vehicle sales in December 2011 rose 9% to seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 13.6 million units, driven by low interest rates (below 3%), easier credit standards, decreasing unemployment rate and pent-up demand when the average age of cars on U.S. roads is almost 11 years and used cars are worth more at trade-in. [...]

(F) U.S. Auto Industry Sees Best Year Since 2008

(PM) Philip Morris International Working to Show Tobacco Saves Lifes

vitalstocks — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:07:09 +0000

While the governments of several countries are forcing the tobacco biggies to showcase the deadly effects of cigarettes through their packets, Philip Morris International (PM) has interestingly geared up to prove that tobacco can save lives too. To strengthen its mission, the company has invested heavily for a 40% stake in the Canadian biotech company [...]

(PM) Philip Morris International Working to Show Tobacco Saves Lifes

(AVY) Avery Dennison Selling Office Business

vitalstocks — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:54:27 +0000

Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY) is divesting its underperforming Office and Consumer Products to its competitor 3M Co. (MMM), the maker of Post-it notes and Scotch Tape, for $550 million in cash. The Office and Consumer Products segment contributed approximately 13% to Avery’s total revenue in fiscal 2010 and in the most recently reported third quarter [...]

(AVY) Avery Dennison Selling Office Business

(F) Auto Sales to Reach Three-Year High

vitalstocks — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:24:14 +0000

According to an industry research report by TrueCar.com, light vehicle sales in the U.S. (including cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles/SUVs) during 2011 is likely to reach its three-year high at nearly 12.8 million vehicles, compared with 13.2 million vehicles in 2008, driven by continued recovery in the automotive industry. The figure is also higher [...]

(F) Auto Sales to Reach Three-Year High

(EL) Estee Lauder Companies – Bull of the Day

vitalstocks — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:07:22 +0000

Estee Lauder Companies’ (EL) first-quarter 2012 earnings of $1.41 per share surpassed both the Zacks Consensus Estimate as well as the year-ago result by 19.5% and 45.0%, respectively. The buoyant purchasing power of the affluent class who shop for products from cosmetics to big-ticket items also fueled strong sales in the luxury sector. While skin [...]

(EL) Estee Lauder Companies – Bull of the Day

(KFT) Kraft Foods Sees Lobbying Charges Shrink

vitalstocks — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:07:04 +0000

Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) reported that it spent $640,000 during the third quarter 2011 on issues related to transportation, agriculture, trade and other matters. The lobbying charges shrunk 1.5% from $650,000 spent during the third quarter of 2010 and 12.3% from $730,000 spent in the second quarter of 2011. According to the filing with the [...]

(KFT) Kraft Foods Sees Lobbying Charges Shrink

(PG) Procter & Gamble Reads Google Data for Marketing

vitalstocks — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:14:10 +0000

Procter & Gamble Company (PG) has taken up an innovative way to market its new product, Vicks Behind Ear Thermometer. It is using the data of the famous search engine Google Inc. (GOOG), to identify the regions that are most flu prone, and thereafter the former will send advertising messages to the people in that [...]

(PG) Procter & Gamble Reads Google Data for Marketing

(SFD) Smithfield Food – Bull of the Day

vitalstocks — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:46:49 +0000

Smithfield Food (SFD) has delivered strong second quarter 2012 earnings of $0.76 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.07. The result was driven by strong fresh pork earnings and robust exports despite higher raw material costs. Further, management has undertaken restructuring initiatives in an effort to save costs and boost profitability, which augur [...]

(SFD) Smithfield Food – Bull of the Day

(SFD) Smithfield Foods – Bull of the Day

vitalstocks — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:10:08 +0000

Smithfield Foods (SFD) has delivered strong second quarter 2012 earnings of $0.76 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.07. The result was driven by strong fresh pork earnings and robust exports despite higher raw material costs. Further, management has undertaken restructuring initiatives in an effort to save costs and boost profitability, which augur [...]

(SFD) Smithfield Foods – Bull of the Day

(AVP) Company News for December 15, 2011 – Corporate Summary

vitalstocks — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:05:09 +0000

• VeriFone (NYSE:PAY) posted Q4 EPS of $0.53, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.44 per share. Revenues for the quarter rose 50.7% year-over-year to come in at $410.70 million • Joy Global (NYSE:JOY) reported Q4 EPS of $1.83, lower than the Zacks Consensus estimate of $1.86 per share. Revenues for the quarter increased 27% [...]

(AVP) Company News for December 15, 2011 – Corporate Summary

(EL) Estee Lauder Companies – Bull of the Day

vitalstocks — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:19:10 +0000

(EL) Estee Lauder Companies – Bull of the Day

(MGA) Magna International to Open Solar System Plant

vitalstocks — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:01:21 +0000

Magna International Inc. (MGA) revealed that its body and chassis systems operating unit, Cosma International, would open a solar component manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona that will strengthen its position in the renewable energy market. The 166,000-square-foot facility, called Cosma Power Systems, will manufacture metal structures and roll-formed components and systems for the photovoltaic (PV), [...]

(MGA) Magna International to Open Solar System Plant

(PERY) Perry Ellis International Pumps Up Share Buyback

vitalstocks — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:00:20 +0000

Perry Ellis International Inc. (PERY) recently approved a $20 million extension of its stock repurchase program, thereby maintaining the trend of returning wealth to its shareholders from time to time, depending on market conditions. This program now authorizes the company to repurchase up to $40 million of its common stock over a twelve-month period. Perry [...]

(PERY) Perry Ellis International Pumps Up Share Buyback

(PG) Procter & Gamble and Siemens Extend Ties

vitalstocks — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:00:07 +0000

Procter & Gamble Company (PG) gets to deepen its ties with Siemens AG (SI), as the latter confirmed the extension of providing a wide array of software to the leading fast moving consumer goods manufacturer. It will be Siemens Industry Automation Division’s business unit, Siemens PLM Software, who will provide the software to Procter & [...]

(PG) Procter & Gamble and Siemens Extend Ties

(BWA) BorgWarner to Sell Tire Pressure Business

vitalstocks — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:12:17 +0000

BorgWarner Inc. (BWA) plans to sell its tire pressure monitoring business to Germany-based Huf Electronics GmbH as it diverts its attention to powertrain technologies. The sale includes a manufacturing facility in Bretten, Germany that employs 230 people. BorgWarner acquired the tire pressure monitoring business in 2005 as a part of its BERU diesel cold start [...]

(BWA) BorgWarner to Sell Tire Pressure Business

(TM) Toyota Motor Trims Earnings Outlook

vitalstocks — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:06:36 +0000

Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) has sharply cut its earnings outlook for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012 due to a strong yen and severe flooding in Thailand that disrupted its parts supply chain. The automaker expects to record a profit of ¥180 billion ($2.3 billion) for the year, which is less than half compared [...]

(TM) Toyota Motor Trims Earnings Outlook

(IP) Temple-Inland Shareholders Nod to International Paper Merger

vitalstocks — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:40:30 +0000

The International Paper (IP) – Temple-Inland (TIN) merger has been approved by more than 98% of Temple’s shareholders. This clears a major hurdle in the creation of a company that would enjoy about 40% share of the North American corrugated packaging materials market. There is only one remaining hurdle – the receipt of the important [...]

(IP) Temple-Inland Shareholders Nod to International Paper Merger

(MTOR) Meritor Incorporated – Bear of the Day

vitalstocks — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:10:14 +0000

Meritor, Inc. (MTOR) is a globally recognized automotive parts supplier. However, the company has high customer concentration, which implies limited scope for margin expansion. Further, the recent turmoil in the global economy is expected to continue to mar its results. We are also disappointed about Meritor’s deteriorating cash flow. Although the company’s fiscal fourth quarter [...]

(MTOR) Meritor Incorporated – Bear of the Day

(KO) Consumer Staples Stock Outlook – December 2011 – Industry Outlook

vitalstocks — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:08:12 +0000

Stocks in the Consumer Staples sector performed their traditional defensive role as the broader equity markets came under pressure over concerns about the prolonged weak U.S. economy and the debt crisis in Europe. Shares of consumer staples companies, accounting for a total of about 11.4% of the S&P 500 Index, were up 5.3%, compared with [...]

(KO) Consumer Staples Stock Outlook – December 2011 – Industry Outlook

(F) U.S. Auto Industry – Pent-Up Demand or Recovery?

vitalstocks — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:02:18 +0000

Despite uncertainties in the market, consumers did not step back from the automobile showrooms in November as they felt the ardent need to change their old cars in the garage. Why wouldn’t they be, when the average age of vehicles on U.S. roads is almost 11 years and used cars are worth more at trade-in! [...]

(F) U.S. Auto Industry – Pent-Up Demand or Recovery?

(GM) Auto Industry Stock Outlook and Review – December 2011 – Industry Outlook

vitalstocks — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:20:07 +0000

The auto industry is highly concentrated. About 10 global automakers account for over 77% of the production worldwide and 13 automakers account for more than 90% of total vehicles sold in the U.S. In the first 10 months of 2011, General Motors Company (GM) led with a 19.8% market share in the U.S., followed by [...]

(GM) Auto Industry Stock Outlook and Review – December 2011 – Industry Outlook

(PAY) VeriFone Systems Announces Preliminary Results

vitalstocks — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:04:24 +0000

VeriFone Systems Inc. (PAY), an electronic payment solutions provider, recently reported preliminary results for the fourth quarter of 2011. The company expects revenues between $409 million and $411 million, up from its previous estimate of $395 million and $400 million. Excluding amortization of step-down in deferred revenue on acquisition, VeriFone expects revenues between $414 million [...]

(PAY) VeriFone Systems Announces Preliminary Results

(XRX) Xerox Buys The Breakaway Group

vitalstocks — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:58:13 +0000

Xerox Corp. (XRX) recently announced that one of its fully owned subsidiaries, Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), has acquired The Breakaway Group with the sole intent of expanding its electronic medical records business. The terms of the deal along with its financial terms remain undisclosed. Denver-based The Breakaway Group is a cloud-computing company which offers a [...]

(XRX) Xerox Buys The Breakaway Group

(TM) Toyota Motor Takes Orders for Prius Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

vitalstocks — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:56:52 +0000

Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) has started taking orders for its much awaited plug-in version of Prius hybrid car that comes with an excellent mileage and affordable price. The automaker will start delivering the plug in hybrid vehicle (PHV) from January next year in Japan. A PHV shares the characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric [...]

(TM) Toyota Motor Takes Orders for Prius Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

(HRL) Snack-On: Hormel in the Menu

vitalstocks — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:53:34 +0000

According to New York Times- Americans eat 31% more packaged food than fresh food and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries. A sizable part of the American diet is ready-to-eat meals, like frozen pizzas and microwave dinners and sweet or salty snack foods. This probably doesn’t [...]

(HRL) Snack-On: Hormel in the Menu

(PHG) Royal Philips Electronics NV Earns FDA Approval of Cancer Scanners

vitalstocks — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:24:42 +0000

In the face of high competition, the Dutch company Royal Philips Electronics NV (PHG) got approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell a combination scanner that performs both positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging. The scanner is expected to accelerate imaging time for cancer patients, as PET identifies cancer [...]

(PHG) Royal Philips Electronics NV Earns FDA Approval of Cancer Scanners

(GM) Steel Industry Stock Outlook – November 2011 – Industry Outlook

vitalstocks — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:21:23 +0000

Overview The World Steel industry is rather concentrated in structure, with a few producers accounting for the lion’s share of sales. Steel products are classified into four broad categories: flat steel products, long steel products, scrap and semi-finished products. Flat products include plates, hot-rolled strip and sheets and cold-rolled strip and sheets. The long steel [...]

(GM) Steel Industry Stock Outlook – November 2011 – Industry Outlook

(AXL) American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Analyst Maintains Neutral

vitalstocks — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:48:37 +0000

We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AXL). American Axle is a leading supplier of driveline systems, modules and components for the light vehicle market. The company manufactures axles, driveshafts and chassis components for light trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and passenger cars. The company holds 38% share of [...]

(AXL) American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Analyst Maintains Neutral

(SUP) Superior Industries International Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares

vitalstocks — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:14:33 +0000

We maintain our Neutral recommendation on Superior Industries International Inc. (SUP). Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, Superior Industries is one of the world’s largest designers and manufacturers of cast aluminum road wheels for the automotive industry. Superior Industries’ aluminum road wheels are sold to OEMs including Audi, BMW, Chrysler LLC, General Motors Company (GM), Fiat, [...]

(SUP) Superior Industries International Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares

(F) Ford Motor Plans Layoffs in Europe

vitalstocks — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:13:25 +0000

Ford Motor Co. (F) plans to layoff 4,000 workers at its Valencia, Spain assembly plant for 39 days between January and October in 2012 in response to weakening demand for cars in Europe on the back of the ongoing Eurozone financial crisis. The plant employs a total of 6,200 workers. The automaker plans to stop [...]

(F) Ford Motor Plans Layoffs in Europe

(HMC) Honda Motor Company – Bear of the Day

vitalstocks — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:55:26 +0000

Honda Motor Company’s (HMC) financial results are severely affected by a stronger Yen and the catastrophic disaster in Japan in March. Furthermore, recent floods in Thailand also damaged the company’s operations. As a result, Honda could not provide guidance for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. And in the second quarter of fiscal 2012, [...]

(HMC) Honda Motor Company – Bear of the Day

(LEG) Leggett & Platt Incorporated – Bear of the Day

vitalstocks — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:20:09 +0000

Leggett & Platt, Inc.’s (LEG) increased operating expenses coupled with higher cost inflation battered the third-quarter 2011 results. The company reported a flat year-over-year earnings of $0.31 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.36. Consequently, anticipating lower market growth expectation, the company has lowered its sales guidance for fiscal 2011 from the range [...]

(LEG) Leggett & Platt Incorporated – Bear of the Day

(PAY) VeriFone Systems Buys Point in Europe

vitalstocks — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:58:28 +0000

VeriFone Systems, Inc. (PAY) has signed a definitive agreement with Nordic Capital Fund V to acquire European-based Point for approximately €600 million or $824 million. VeriFone will also retire Point’s debt of approximately €170 million. Management expects to close the acquisition by the end of 2011. The transaction is expected to be accretive to the [...]

(PAY) VeriFone Systems Buys Point in Europe