MILWAUKEE - Shares of the nation's food makers slumped Friday amid another market plunge, but analysts say the industry is poised to benefit from declining commodity costs and strong retail pricing. Food makers have been raising prices to keep up with high costs for both energy and key ingredients like corn. As the prices for inputs moderate, there's little likelihood, analysts say, that the companies will lower their own prices--meaning profits will get a boost. Given a hypothetical 5 percent drop in commodity prices, branded food manufacturers will see earnings per share rise by 22 cents, Citigroup analyst David Driscoll wrote in a research note Thursday. "The large-cap branded food group stands to benefit from lower commodity prices as we do not believe they will respond immediately by lowering product prices," he wrote....
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