Nestle SA (OTC:NSRGY) is the world's largest food and beverage company.^[1] Nestle owns several major consumer brands such as Stouffers, Nescafe, Kit-Kat, Carnation, Nestle Water, and many others.^[2] All in all, 30 of Nestle's products earned 1 billion CHF or more during 2010, making Nestle a major force in the global food and beverage industry.^[3] Nestle competes with companies such as Unilever NV (UN), Hershey Foods (HSY), Kraft Foods (KFT), Cadbury Schweppes (CSG), and GROUPE DANONE (DA) in the packaged food market. With only 42% of its food and beverage sales coming from North America, Nestle is one of the most geographically diverse of the major food and beverage companies.^[4] In FY 2010, Nestle generated revenues of CHF 104.6B ($121.1B USD) and net earnings of CHF 9.05B ($10.5B USD).^[5]

Although it already occupies the top spot in terms of sales, Nestle is attempting to continue sales and margin growth by increasing the nutritional value of its products and expanding into new areas of therapeutic foods for people with various illnesses.^[6] The company's stated goal is to transform itself from a food manufacturer to the world's leading nutrition, health, and wellness company.^[3] In 2010, Nestle created a subsidiary that will create food-based products meant to help prevent and treat various medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

(Read more at Wikinvest )