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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

x      QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended July 31, 2011

or

o         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                         to                        

Commission File Number: 1-2402

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(507) 437-5611

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

None

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  x YES  o NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  x YES  o NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  o Yes  x No

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

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PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Financial Statements

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(In Thousands of Dollars)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(In Thousands of Dollars)

* Shares and par values have been restated, as appropriate, to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected February 1, 2011.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

(Unaudited)

* Shares and per share figures have been restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected February 1, 2011.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ INVESTMENT

(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

(Unaudited)

* Per share figures have been restated to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected February 1, 2011.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In Thousands of Dollars)

(Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

NOTE A                 GENERAL

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Hormel Foods Corporation (the Company) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information, and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.  The balance sheet at October 31, 2010, has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.  For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010.

Certain reclassifications of previously reported amounts have been made to conform to the current year presentation.  The reclassifications had no impact on net earnings as previously reported.

Stock Split

On November 22, 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a two-for-one split of the Company’s common stock, which was subsequently approved by shareholders at the Company’s Annual Meeting on January 31, 2011, and effected on February 1, 2011.  The Company’s common stock was reclassified by reducing the par value from $.0586 per share to $.0293 per share and the number of authorized shares was increased from 400,000,000 to 800,000,000 shares, in order to effect a two-for-one stock split.  The number of authorized shares of nonvoting common stock and preferred stock was also increased to 400,000,000 shares and 160,000,000 shares, respectively, with no change in the par value of those shares.

Unless otherwise noted, all prior year share amounts and per share calculations throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been restated to reflect the impact of this split, and to provide data on a basis comparable to fiscal 2011.  Such restatements include calculations regarding the Company’s weighted-average shares, earnings per share, and dividends per share, as well as disclosures regarding the Company’s stock-based compensation plans and share repurchase activity.

Subsequent Event

Effective August 22, 2011, MegaMex Foods, LLC (MegaMex), a joint venture between the Company and Herdez Del Fuerte, S.A. de C.V., completed the acquisition of Fresherized Foods.  Fresherized Foods produces Wholly Guacamole®, Wholly Salsa® and Wholly Queso® products, which expand the platform of Mexican foods offered by the Company.  The Company’s 50 percent share of the Fresherized Foods results will be reflected through equity in earnings of affiliates for MegaMex in the Grocery Products segment from the date of acquisition.

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Investments

The Company maintains a rabbi trust to fund certain supplemental executive retirement plans and deferred income plans, which is included in other assets on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  The securities held by the trust are classified as trading securities.  Therefore, unrealized gains and losses associated with these investments are included in the Company’s earnings.  Securities held by the trust generated a loss of $0.2 million for the third quarter and a gain of $1.6 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2011, compared to gains of $0.4 million and $2.9 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 25, 2010, respectively.  The Company has transitioned the majority of this portfolio to more fixed return investments to reduce the exposure to volatility in equity markets.

The Company also holds securities as part of an investment portfolio, which are classified as short-term marketable securities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  These investments are also trading securities.  Therefore, unrealized gains and losses are included in the Company’s earnings.  The Company recorded a gain of $0.1 million and $0.5 million related to these investments during the third quarter and nine months ended July 31, 2011, respectively, compared to a gain of $0.2 million for both the third quarter and nine months ended July 25, 2010.

Supplemental Statement of Operations Information

Net earnings for the nine months ended July 25, 2010, included two non-recurring charges recorded by the Company.  During the second quarter of fiscal 2010, the Company made the decision to close its Valley Fresh plant in Turlock, California.  A write-down of fixed assets and the recording of employee related costs resulted in a charge to net earnings of $6.3 million ($0.02 per diluted share).  Health care laws enacted in fiscal 2010 also required the Company to reduce the value of its deferred tax assets as a result of a change to the tax treatment of Medicare Part D subsidies.  As a result, the Company recorded a charge of $7.1 million ($0.03 per diluted share) to income tax expense during the second quarter of fiscal 2010, primarily related to these new health care laws.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Non-cash investment activities presented on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows generally consist of unrealized gains or losses on the Company’s rabbi trust and other investments, amortization of affordable housing investments, and amortization of bond financing costs.  The noted investments are included in other assets or short-term marketable securities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  Changes in the value of these investments are included in the Company’s net earnings and are presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as either interest and investment income or interest expense, as appropriate.

Guarantees

The Company enters into various agreements guaranteeing specified obligations of affiliated parties.  The Company’s guarantees either terminate in one year or remain in place until such time as the Company revokes the agreement.  The Company currently provides a renewable standby letter of credit for $4.8 million to guarantee obligations that may arise under worker compensation claims of an affiliated party.  This potential obligation is not reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

NOTE B                 ACQUISITIONS

Effective February 1, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of the Country Crock® chilled side dish business from Unilever United States Inc.  This line of microwaveable, refrigerated side dishes complements the Company’s Hormel refrigerated entrées and Lloyd’s barbeque product lines within the Refrigerated Foods segment.  Country Crock® remains a registered trademark of the Unilever Group of Companies and is being used under license.

Operating results for this product line are included in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations from the date of acquisition.  Pro forma results are not presented, as the acquisition is not material to the consolidated Company.

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NOTE C                 STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The Company issues stock options and nonvested shares as part of its stock incentive plans for employees and non-employee directors.  The Company’s policy is to grant options with an exercise price equal to the market price of the common stock on the date of grant.  Options typically vest over periods ranging from six months to four years and expire ten years after the grant date.  The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense ratably over the shorter of the requisite service period or vesting period.  The fair value of stock-based compensation granted to retirement-eligible individuals is expensed at the time of grant.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2007, the Company made a one-time grant of 100 stock options (pre-split) to each active, full-time employee of the Company on January 8, 2007.  This grant was to vest upon the earlier of five years or attainment of a closing stock price of $50.00 per share (pre-split) for five consecutive trading days, and had an expiration of ten years after the grant date.  During the first quarter of fiscal 2011, the options vested after the stock attained the required closing price per share for five consecutive trading days.

A reconciliation of the number of options outstanding and exercisable (in thousands) as of July 31, 2011, and changes during the nine months then ended, is as follows:

The weighted-average grant date fair value of stock options granted, and the total intrinsic value of options exercised (in thousands) during the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal years 2011 and 2010, are as follows:

The fair value of each option award is calculated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model utilizing the following weighted-average assumptions.  No options were granted in the third quarter ending July 31, 2011, or July 25, 2010.

As part of the annual valuation process, the Company reassesses the appropriateness of the inputs used in the valuation models.  The Company establishes the risk-free interest rate using stripped U.S. Treasury yields as of the grant date where the remaining term is approximately the expected life of the option.  The dividend yield is set based on the dividend rate approved by the Company’s Board of Directors and the stock price on the grant

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date.  The expected volatility assumption is set based primarily on historical volatility.  As a reasonableness test, implied volatility from exchange traded options is also examined to validate the volatility range obtained from the historical analysis.  The expected life assumption is set based on an analysis of past exercise behavior by option holders.  In performing the valuations for option grants, the Company has not stratified option holders as exercise behavior has historically been consistent across all employee and non-employee director groups.

The Company’s nonvested shares granted on or before September 26, 2010, vest after five years or upon retirement. Nonvested shares granted after September 26, 2010, vest after one year. A reconciliation of the nonvested shares (in thousands) as of July 31, 2011, and changes during the nine months then ended, is as follows:

No nonvested shares were granted or vested in the third quarter ended July 31, 2011, or July 25, 2010.  The weighted-average grant date fair value of nonvested shares granted, the total fair value (in thousands) of nonvested shares granted, and the fair value (in thousands) of shares that have vested during the first nine months of fiscal years 2011 and 2010, are as follows:

Stock-based compensation expense, along with the related income tax benefit, for the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal years 2011 and 2010 is presented in the table below.

At July 31, 2011, there was $14.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense from stock-based compensation arrangements granted under the plans.  This compensation is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.7 years.  During the third quarter and nine months ended July 31, 2011, cash received from stock option exercises was $6.8 million and $50.5 million, compared to $2.6 million and $16.8 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 25, 2010.  The total tax benefit to be realized for tax deductions from these option exercises for the third quarter and nine months ended July 31, 2011, was $4.2 million and $19.1 million, respectively, compared to $1.2 million and $8.6 million in the comparable periods in fiscal 2010.

Shares issued for option exercises and nonvested shares may be either authorized but unissued shares, or shares of treasury stock acquired in the open market or otherwise.

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NOTE D                 GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

The change in the carrying amount of goodwill for the nine months ended July 31, 2011, is presented in the table below.  There were no changes in the carrying amount during the third quarter of fiscal 2011.

The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization for definite-lived intangible assets are presented in the table below.

Amortization expense was $2.3 million and $7.2 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 31, 2011, respectively, compared to $2.6 million and $7.8 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 25, 2010.

Estimated annual amortization expense (in thousands) for the five fiscal years after October 31, 2010, is as follows:

The carrying amounts for indefinite-lived intangible assets are presented in the table below.

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NOTE E                                                    EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA

The following table sets forth the denominator for the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share: