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The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Value Investor model based on the published strategy of Benjamin Graham. This deep value methodology screens for stocks that have low P/B and P/E ratios, along with low debt and solid long-term earnings growth.

FRESH DEL MONTE PRODUCE INC (FDP) is a small-cap value stock in the Crops industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham changed from 71% to 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is a vertically integrated producer, marketer and distributor of fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. It also produces and distributes prepared food in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It markets its products under the Del Monte brand, Mann brand and other related trademarks. It has three segments: fresh and value-added products, banana, and other products and services. Fresh and value-added products segment includes pineapples; fresh-cut fruit fresh-cut vegetables, which include fresh-cut salads; melons; vegetables; non-tropical fruit, which includes grapes, apples, citrus, blueberries, strawberries, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries and kiwis; other fruit and vegetables, avocados, and prepared foods, which includes prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, other beverages, and meals and snacks. Other products and services segment includes its third-party freight and logistic services business and its Jordanian poultry and meats business.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of FRESH DEL MONTE PRODUCE INC

About Benjamin Graham: The late Benjamin Graham may be the oldest of the gurus we follow, but his impact on the investing world has lasted for decades after his death in 1976. Known as both the "Father of Value Investing" and the founder of the entire field of security analysis, Graham mentored several of history's greatest investors -- including Warren Buffett -- and inspired a slew of others, including John Templeton, Mario Gabelli, and another of Validea's gurus, John Neff. Graham built his fortune and reputation after living through some extremely difficult times, including both the Great Depression and his own family's financial woes following his father's death when Benjamin was a young man. His investment firm posted per annum returns of about 20 percent from 1936 to 1956, far outpacing the 12.2 percent average return for the market during that time.

About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.