DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

General Mills Co. (GIS) said fiscal first-quarter earnings are estimated to have topped the company's internal projections, calling the results a "strong start" to the year.

The packaged-food giant wasn't more specific, but said results were helped by rebounding margins, which were pressured last year by higher grains and other costs.

The mean estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters was for earnings of $1.02 a share for the quarter ended Aug. 30.

General Mills made the disclosure ahead of an analyst gathering this morning in Boston

The company in June posted better-than-expected results in its fiscal fourth quarter and boosted its outlook for the current year, citing moderating raw material prices and internal efforts to cut costs.

General Mills is due to report its first quarter results Sept. 23.

Shares rose 0.5% in premarket trading to $60.84. The stock is flat for the year.

-By Kevin Kingsbury, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2354; kevin.kingsbury@dowjones.com