We Think Shareholders Are Less Likely To Approve A Pay Rise For J&J Snack Foods Corp.'s (NASDAQ:JJSF) CEO For Now

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Key Insights

  • J&J Snack Foods' Annual General Meeting to take place on 13th of February

  • Total pay for CEO Dan Fachner includes US$936.5k salary

  • The total compensation is similar to the average for the industry

  • J&J Snack Foods' EPS grew by 195% over the past three years while total shareholder loss over the past three years was 4.2%

In the past three years, the share price of J&J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ:JJSF) has struggled to generate growth for its shareholders. What is concerning is that despite positive EPS growth, the share price has not tracked the trend in fundamentals. Shareholders may want to question the board on the future direction of the company at the upcoming AGM on 13th of February. Voting on resolutions such as executive remuneration and other matters could also be a way to influence management. Here's our take on why we think shareholders may want to be cautious of approving a raise for the CEO at the moment.

Check out our latest analysis for J&J Snack Foods

Comparing J&J Snack Foods Corp.'s CEO Compensation With The Industry

At the time of writing, our data shows that J&J Snack Foods Corp. has a market capitalization of US$2.8b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of US$4.6m for the year to September 2023. We note that's an increase of 50% above last year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at US$937k.

For comparison, other companies in the American Food industry with market capitalizations ranging between US$2.0b and US$6.4b had a median total CEO compensation of US$5.0m. So it looks like J&J Snack Foods compensates Dan Fachner in line with the median for the industry. What's more, Dan Fachner holds US$3.2m worth of shares in the company in their own name, indicating that they have a lot of skin in the game.

Component

2023

2022

Proportion (2023)

Salary

US$937k

US$896k

20%

Other

US$3.6m

US$2.2m

80%

Total Compensation

US$4.6m

US$3.0m

100%

Speaking on an industry level, nearly 28% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 72% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that J&J Snack Foods allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. If total compensation is slanted towards non-salary benefits, it indicates that CEO pay is linked to company performance.

ceo-compensation
ceo-compensation

A Look at J&J Snack Foods Corp.'s Growth Numbers

Over the past three years, J&J Snack Foods Corp. has seen its earnings per share (EPS) grow by 195% per year. In the last year, its revenue is up 9.8%.

This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently and is good news for the shareholders. It's nice to see revenue heading northwards, as this is consistent with healthy business conditions. Historical performance can sometimes be a good indicator on what's coming up next but if you want to peer into the company's future you might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts.

Has J&J Snack Foods Corp. Been A Good Investment?

Since shareholders would have lost about 4.2% over three years, some J&J Snack Foods Corp. investors would surely be feeling negative emotions. So shareholders would probably want the company to be less generous with CEO compensation.

In Summary...

Despite the growth in its earnings, the share price decline in the past three years is certainly concerning. The fact that the stock price hasn't grown along with earnings may indicate that other issues may be affecting that stock. Shareholders would be keen to know what's holding the stock back when earnings have grown. These concerns should be addressed at the upcoming AGM, where shareholders can question the board and evaluate if their judgement and decision making is still in line with their expectations.

While it is important to pay attention to CEO remuneration, investors should also consider other elements of the business. We've identified 1 warning sign for J&J Snack Foods that investors should be aware of in a dynamic business environment.

Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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