July 2

GRUMA PLANS USD 50 MILLION INVESTMENT IN USA
(Opportimes.com)
The Mexican company Gruma plans to invest USD 50 million in the United States during 2019. The resources will mainly be used for increases in production capacity. Specifically, Gruma will invest in expanding its production capacity in its Dallas tortilla plant, expand its corn flour plant in Edinburg, Texas, and for wastewater treatment projects and improvements in manufacturing and technology.

July 3

MEXICO’S 50 TOP BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
(Mundo Ejecutivo pgs. 62-71)
Juan González Moreno, Gruma President and CEO, the man who introduced the tortilla, the most Mexican of products, to the rest of the world, was ranked 18^thin the list of Mexico’s leading most important business executives.

July 4

THIS HAPPENED
(Milenio Diario pg. 2) (Milenio Online) (El Universal Online)
Perhaps inspired by recent tweets by Donald Trump, his head of business at the embassy, John Creamer, assured that Mexico and the United States will face common challenges like the family they are, apropos of Independence Day celebrated by the northern neighbor today. Creamer recognized the contribution made by 36 million Mexican descendants to the U.S. economy, the investments by Cemex, Bimbo, Lala, and Gruma, and the emergence of Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Guillermo del Toro in Hollywood.

July 5

DO YOU KNOW THE SIMPLE STORY OF THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME MASECA?
(Milenio Online)
The Mexican brand has brought the pleasure of eating a tortilla to the entire world. Do you know its story? Maseca is one of the largest producers of corn flour and tortillas in the world. Corn tortillas and corn flour are not only one of the most emblematic foods within the Mexican diet, but through Maseca, this product has now been taken across the globe. Maseca is one of Gruma’s leading brands. The corn flour producer is celebrating 70 years of operations in 2019. The company name comes from the combination of the wordsmasaandseca, or “dry dough,” referring to dehydrated corn flour.

July 12

Corporate Minute / By Roberto Aguilar
(El Sol De México pg. 21)
Positive signs to come from Gruma. According to Eikon, there are 16 recommendations on shares of the company led by Juan González Moreno. The majority recommend hold or buy. The average target price is MXN 246, a potential increase of 37% with respect to the current share price on the Mexican exchange.

July 15

GOOD RESULTS FOR GRUMA, SAYS BX+
(Excélsior pg. 2) (El Economista pg. 6) (El Economista Online)
Gruma posted a positive second quarter. The tortilla and flour producer increased its revenue and profits through strategies to attract new customers or gaining market share in product categories. According to estimates by Grupo Financiero BX+, sales by Gruma in the second quarter were up about 6.14%. The company’s EBITDA, a profitability indicator, was up 6.91%, and net products grew 8.09%.

Roberto Aguilar/ Corporate Minute.
(El Sol De México pg. 22)(El Sol De México Online)
The stock analysis group at HSBC Mexico, led by Eduardo Altamirano, believes that Mexico’s risk profile remains relatively unchanged after the new Secretary of Finance took office. The bank believes that the news actually offers an opportunity for investors to take advantage of share prices of companies with a high exposure to operations outside of Mexico. Companies to keep an eye on include Arca Continental (Arturo Gutiérrez), Bimbo (Daniel Servitje), Cemex (CEO Fernando González), Femsa (CEO José Antonio Fernández), Gruma (CEO Juan González Moreno), Mexichem (CEO Daniel Martínez Valle), and Peñoles (CEO Sergio Fernando Alanís)

July 17

FOLIC ACID, ESSENTIAL FOR CHILDREN’S DIETS https://www.milenio.com/salud/acido-folico-esencial-en-la-dieta-de-los-ninos
For example, tortillas made with Maseca are not only fortified with folic acid, but also provide humans with vitamins, iron, calcium, fiber, and minerals to help reach the recommended daily intake of nutrients for children, adults, and seniors alike.

July 24

Corporate Minute / By Roberto Aguilar
(El Sol De México pg. 22) (El Sol De México Online)
List of Favorites. Santander stock market analysts, led by Héctor Grisi, believe that while the S&P/BMV index offer attractive discounts above 20% with respect to average levels the last seven years, investments must be carefully chosen due to a lower growth environment, an unclear macroeconomic policy, a possible additional downgrade to the Pemex rating, and lackluster corporate profits. In view of this scenario, Santander chose its favorite shares as Gruma, Arca Continental, Alsea, BanBajio, GCC, and Vesta. The companies share the common denominators of a strong cash flow and a solid balance sheet, exposure to dollars, and strong regulatory risks.

July 25

GRUMA CASH FLOW UP 3% (El Norte Online — Nuevo León) (Reforma Online) (El Financiero pg. 26) (El Financiero Online) (La Jornada pg. 25) (Milenio Diario pg. 27) (Excélsior pg. 2) (El Sol De México pg. 24) (Contraréplica pg. 17)
Improved sales volume and revenues in foreign markets, as well as benefits from the adoption of IFRS, contributed to a 3% rise in cash flow for Grupo Maseca (Gruma) compared to the same period in 2018. The company posted MXN 3.178 billion in revenues in Q218.

GRUMA REPORTS MXN 1.269 BILLION IN EARNINGS IN Q219(Entre Mercados)
Leticia Alcántara: In the second quarter of 2019, Gruma saw MXN 1.268 billion in profits, representing a 3% year-to-year contraction. The cost of sales and administrative costs as a percentage of sales increased due to higher transportation and marketing expenses, payments of liabilities, and IT projects, among other expenses.

July 26

NET SALES AT GRUMA UP 2%/ IN THE TIMES OF RADIO
(Grupo Fórmula /Alfredo Huerta “En Los Tiempos De La Radio”)
Alfredo Huerta: The day’s reports are in. At Gruma, net sales are up 2% following improvements in the United States division. In Mexico, the company benefited from price increases by GIMSA. Sales from the U.S. represented 73%.

July 27

MEXICO’S 300 MOST INFLUENTIAL LEADERS / pg. 125-148.
(Líderes Mexicanos pgs. 210-219)
Juan Antonio González Moreno, President of the Board of Directors and CEO of Gruma and GIMSA, appeared on the list of the 300 most influential leaders in Mexico.