FLO

Flowers Foods delivered first quarter results that were well received by the market, marked by solid execution in a challenging environment. Management highlighted that bottom-line performance benefited from disciplined cost management and targeted supply chain efficiencies, while top-line growth remained constrained by ongoing softness in the traditional loaf bread category. CEO Ryals McMullian credited a comprehensive brand review and a nationwide relaunch of the Nature’s Own brand as key factors, noting, “Getting our volume stabilized in traditional loaf will do more for the business than any other lever that we can pull.” Is now the time to buy FLO? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $1.57 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.57 billion (1.1% year-on-year growth, in line) Adjusted EPS: $0.29 vs analyst estimates of $0.27 (8.2% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $159 million vs analyst estimates of $148.5 million (10.1% margin, 7.1% beat) The company reconfirmed its revenue guidance for the full year of $5.22 billion at the midpoint Management reiterated its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance of $0.85 at the midpoint EBITDA guidance for the full year is $480 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $475.2 million Operating Margin: 6.8%, in line with the same quarter last year Sales Volumes fell 3.3% year on year, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $1.65 billion While we enjoy listening to the management’s commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls is the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. James Salera (Stephens): asked about the company’s inflation outlook and how hedging and productivity measures are being used to offset commodity cost increases. CFO Anthony Scaglione explained most key commodities are fully hedged for the year, with additional productivity efforts underway for packaging and distribution costs. Stephen Robert Powers (Deutsche Bank): inquired about the financial impact of higher diesel and packaging costs and how the recently reset dividend will affect capital allocation. Scaglione confirmed oil-related headwinds are included in guidance, and clarified that free cash flow from the dividend reset will focus on deleveraging. Scott Mar...

Hormel Foods Corporation HRL reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein both top and bottom lines increased year over year and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company benefited from organic top-line growth, favorable pricing actions, improved turkey network performance and gains across all three segments. Hormel Foods posted adjusted earnings of 40 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate as well as the year-ago period’s adjusted figure of 35 cents. Hormel Foods Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Hormel Foods Corporation Quote Net sales of $2,972.6 million increased 2.5% from $2,898.8 million reported in the year-ago quarter. The metric surpassed the consensus mark of $2,944 million. Organic net sales increased 3.3% in the quarter, marking the company’s sixth consecutive quarter of organic top-line growth. Total volume declined 1.2%, while organic volume fell 0.8%.Hormel Foods’ adjusted gross profit was $519.9 million, up from $487.2 million reported in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses were $243.4 million for the quarter compared with $237.7 million in the year-ago period.Adjusted operating income was $293.7 million, up from $264.9 million in the same quarter last year. Adjusted operating margin expanded to 9.9% from 9.1% reported in the year-ago quarter. Net sales in the Retail unit increased 0.3% year over year to $1,789.7 million, while organic net sales rose 1.4%. Volume declined 2.1%, with organic volume down 1.6%, mainly due to the strategic exit from select non-core private-label snack nut items. The segment benefited from strong performance in Jennie-O ground turkey, along with contributions from Applegate natural and organic meats, Hormel Black Label bacon, the Herdez portfolio and Hormel Gatherings party trays.Segment profit rose 13.5%, driven by higher organic net sales, improved performance across the turkey manufacturing network and lower SG&A expenses, partly offset by inflationary pressures in the logistics network.Net sales in the Foodservice segment jumped 6.4% to $996.7 million, while organic net sales rose 6.6%. Volume increased 0.7%, with organic volume up 0.8%. The segment marked its 11th consecutive quarter of organic net sales growth, driven by broad-based strength across multiple product groups and categories, including customized solutions,...

Flowers Foods, Inc.'s (NYSE:FLO) recent soft profit numbers didn't appear to worry shareholders, as the stock price showed strength. However, we think the company is showing some signs that things are more promising than they seem. AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early. For anyone who wants to understand Flowers Foods' profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$191m due to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. Flowers Foods took a rather significant hit from unusual items in the year to April 2026. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit look worse than its underlying earnings power. That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates. As we mentioned previously, the Flowers Foods' profit was hampered by unusual items in the last year. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Flowers Foods' statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! On the other hand, its EPS actually shrunk in the last twelve months. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company's potential, but there is plenty more to consider. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. While conducting our analysis, we found that Flowers Foods has 5 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them. Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Flowers Foods' profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good sign of a quality business. While it might take a little research on your behalf,...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Friday, May 22, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET Chairman and Chief Executive Officer — A. Ryals McMullian Chief Financial Officer — Diego Scaglione A. McMullian: Okay. Thanks, J.T. Good morning, everybody. Our team continued to execute against a challenging backdrop and softer top-line trends in the quarter, delivering bottom line results ahead of expectations. We advanced the comprehensive review of our brand portfolio, supply chain and financial strategy, and I'm very encouraged by the progress we're making there. We sharpened our focus on our core brands, including our nationwide relaunch of Nature's Own, while continuing to strengthen our position in Better For You segments. We also saw positive trends in premium bread and cake categories, helping us offset some of the ongoing softness in the traditional loaf category where we underperformed in the quarter. In addition, we took initiatives to drive efficiencies across our supply chain while further strengthening our balance sheet and our financial flexibility. Together, these efforts are positioning us to deliver more consistent and sustainable growth and profitability over the long term. Looking ahead, we'll remain focused on executing this strategy and positioning the business to drive value for shareholders. And I want to thank our team for their continued focus and commitment. And so with that, Marvin, we can open it up for questions. Operator: [Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from the line of Jim Salera of Stephens. James Salera: I wanted to start off with your view on inflation, given how much commodities have moved since the start of the Iran conflict. Can you just walk us through your outlook on inflation, how that's changed since the beginning of the year? And any details you can share around your hedging program and maybe internal inflation expectations for the remainder of the year? Diego Scaglione: Sure. I'll take that. First off, recall, our hedging program really builds the cadence as we progress through the year. So we're virtually fully hedged for the balance of the year on the commodities in the program. So as we look forward, we see pressure primarily in other commodities and the impact that the price of oil has had on our distribution and resin, which has significantly impacted our packaging costs, and that's an area we didn't see as a cost concern w...

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Revenue: Softer top line trends noted in the quarter. Bottom Line Results: Delivered ahead of expectations. Brand Portfolio: Nationwide relaunch of Nature's Own and positive trends in premium bread and cake categories. Traditional Loaf Category: Underperformance noted in the quarter. Supply Chain Efficiencies: Initiatives taken to drive efficiencies and strengthen financial flexibility. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with FLO. Is FLO fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Release Date: May 22, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Flowers Foods Inc (NYSE:FLO) delivered bottom line results ahead of expectations despite a challenging backdrop and softer top line trends. The company advanced its comprehensive review of brand portfolio, supply chain, and financial strategy, showing encouraging progress. A nationwide relaunch of the Nature's Own brand was executed, focusing on core brands and strengthening the position in better-for-you segments. Positive trends were observed in premium bread and cake categories, helping offset softness in the traditional loaf category. Efforts to drive efficiencies across the supply chain and strengthen the balance sheet are positioning the company for more consistent and sustainable growth. The traditional loaf category underperformed in the quarter, which is a significant segment for Flowers Foods Inc (NYSE:FLO). Rising costs in commodities, particularly oil and resin, have significantly impacted packaging costs, posing a challenge. The promotional environment is intense and deemed unsustainable, affecting pricing dynamics and volume performance. Consumer pressures and headwinds to the top line are expected to persist, with no immediate recovery in volume anticipated. The company faces near-term margin pressure due to increased marketing investments and commodity cost increases. Q: Can you provide an outlook on inflation and details about your hedging program for the remainder of the year? A: We are virtually fully hedged for the balance of the year on the commodities in our program. We see pressure primarily in other commodities and the impact of oil prices on distribution and packaging costs. We are looking at ways to mitigate these increases through packaging configurations an...

Interested in Flowers Foods, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Flowers Foods reported Q1 earnings ahead of expectations despite softer sales and continued weakness in traditional bread, while reaffirming its fiscal 2026 outlook. Management said its focus remains on brand investment, cost controls, and balance sheet improvement. The company is betting heavily on a nationwide relaunch of Nature’s Own to stabilize its core loaf bread business, which makes up about 38% of branded retail sales. The revamped product has fewer ingredients, is non-GMO verified, and is being supported by a major marketing campaign featuring John Cena. Cost pressure is shifting from hedged commodities to oil-related inputs such as distribution and resin, adding an estimated $0.02 to $0.03 headwind in the second half of the year. Flowers Foods also said cash from its dividend reset will be used primarily to delever, with a goal of getting below 3x leverage by fiscal 2027. 3 High-Yield Bargains to Watch in 2025’s Second Half Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) said it delivered first-quarter bottom-line results ahead of expectations despite softer sales trends and continued pressure in the traditional bread category, as management pointed to brand investment, cost controls and balance sheet priorities as key themes for the rest of fiscal 2026. Chairman and CEO Ryals McMullian said the company “continued to execute against a challenging backdrop,” citing progress on a comprehensive review of Flowers Foods’ brand portfolio, supply chain and financial strategy. He said the company is sharpening its focus on core brands, including a nationwide relaunch of Nature’s Own, while continuing to build its position in better-for-you segments. → CAVA Group’s Stock Looks Delicious After Strong Earnings “We also saw positive trends in premium bread and cake categories, helping us offset some of the ongoing softness in the traditional bread category, where we underperformed in the quarter,” McMullian said. Management said Flowers Foods is largely protected on the commodities it hedges for the balance of 2026. CFO Anthony Scaglione said the company is “virtually fully hedged” for the rest of the year on commodities included in its hedging program. → SpaceX IPO: Opportunity? Or the Ultimate Hype Trade? However, Scaglione said the company is now seeing pressure in areas tied to oil, including distribution a...

Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here. Management attributed bottom-line outperformance to disciplined cost execution despite a challenging top-line environment and softer consumer demand. The company is pivoting its portfolio strategy to address underperformance in the traditional loaf category, which represents approximately 38% of branded retail. A nationwide relaunch of Nature's Own features a 'cleaner label' and non-GMO verification to differentiate the brand and stabilize volumes in a competitive market. Performance in premium bread and cake segments helped offset volume declines in legacy categories, reflecting a shift toward higher-margin, 'Better For You' offerings. Management noted that recent pricing gaps have widened beyond ideal levels, contributing to short-term volume pressure as competitors increased promotional intensity. Operational focus has shifted toward supply chain optimization and productivity measures to mitigate unhedged inflationary pressures in packaging and distribution. Guidance for the remainder of 2026 assumes easier volume comparisons in the back half of the year rather than a fundamental market recovery. The company expects a $0.02 to $0.03 headwind in the second half of the year specifically related to rising oil prices and their impact on resin-based packaging costs. Success for the Nature's Own relaunch is defined as stabilizing traditional loaf volumes, though management expects a 6-to-12-month lag before full marketing impacts are realized. Financial strategy prioritizes deleveraging to below 3x by the end of fiscal 2027, supported by a strategic reset of the dividend policy. Management assumes the current 'irrational' promotional environment is unsustainable and expects share trends to improve as price gaps normalize. A dividend reset was implemented to free up approximately $100 million in annual cash flow for debt reduction and brand reinvestment. Rising oil prices have created unexpected cost concerns in resin and distribution that were not present at the start of the fiscal year. Consumer sentiment is flagged as a significant risk, with management citing record-low sentiment reports and affordability issues impacting restaurant and retail traffic. The company is virtually fully hedged for core commoditi...

Flowers Foods, Inc. FLO reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein both top and bottom lines beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate. While net sales increased, earnings decreased from the year-ago period’s actuals. Flowers Foods posted adjusted earnings of 29 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 28 cents. However, the bottom line deteriorated 17.1% from 35 cents reported in the year-ago quarter. Flowers Foods, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Flowers Foods, Inc. Quote Net sales increased 1.1% year over year to $1,571.6 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,563 million. The year-over-year growth was driven by a 2.1% increase in pricing/mix and a 2.3% contribution from the Simple Mills acquisition, partially offset by lower volumes. Volume declined 3.3%, primarily reflecting weakness in branded traditional loaf and store-branded cake and loaf categories, partially offset by growth in snacking, branded keto and vending.Branded retail sales rose 3.4% to $1,045 million, supported by favorable pricing/mix and contribution from acquisition, partially offset by lower volumes. Pricing/mix increased 4%, volume declined 4.2% and the acquisition contributed 3.6%.Other net sales decreased 3.1% to $526.2 million, reflecting inflationary pressure on consumer spending and the execution of margin optimization strategies. Pricing/mix declined 1.2%, while volume decreased 1.9%. Gross margin, excluding depreciation and amortization as a percentage of net sales, was 49.4%, a decrease of 50 basis points compared with the prior year. The decline was primarily caused by reduced operating leverage resulting from lower volumes and higher outside product purchases associated with Simple Mills, partially offset by lower ingredient costs related to the acquisition.Selling, distribution and administrative expenses were 40.9% of net sales, up 10 basis points from the prior-year period. Excluding matters affecting comparability, adjusted SD&A decreased 20 basis points to 39.3% of sales, due to lower marketing expenses and reduced distributor fees as a percentage of sales, reflecting the addition of Simple Mills and its warehouse distribution model.Adjusted EBITDA decreased 1.8% year over year to $159 million, representing 10.1% of net sales, a decrease of 30 basis points. FLO ended its fiscal first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of...

Flowers Foods (FLO) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.29 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.28 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.35 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +3.57%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bakery goods company would post earnings of $0.16 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.22, delivering a surprise of +37.5%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Flowers Foods, which belongs to the Zacks Food - Miscellaneous industry, posted revenues of $1.57 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.58%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.55 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Flowers Foods shares have lost about 33.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.6%. While Flowers Foods has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Flowers Foods was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Ra...

Flowers Foods (FLO) reported fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings late Thursday of $0.29 per diluted share, d

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (AP) — THOMASVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Flowers Foods Inc. (FLO) on Thursday reported net income of $42.1 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the Thomasville, Georgia-based company said it had net income of 20 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and restructuring costs, were 29 cents per share. The bakery goods company posted revenue of $1.57 billion in the period. Flowers Foods expects full-year earnings in the range of 80 cents to 90 cents per share, with revenue in the range of $5.16 billion to $5.27 billion. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FLO at https://www.zacks.com/ap/FLO