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Beyond Meat, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 May 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net revenue fell on lower volume: Net revenues were $58.2 million, down 15.3% from $68.7 million. Volume of products sold fell 19.5%, partly offset by a 5.4% rise in net revenue per pound. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed: Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $27.8 million, or -47.7% of net revenues, against a loss of $50.5 million, or -73.5%, a year earlier. Source
  • Gross profit turned positive: Gross profit was $2.0 million, or gross margin of 3.4%, against a gross loss of $6.9 million, or -10.1%, in the year-ago period. Source
  • Operating expenses declined year over year: Operating expenses were $43.1 million, against $57.4 million a year earlier. R&D was $5.2 million and SG&A was $37.9 million, against $7.5 million and $50.0 million. Source
  • Note conversion after quarter end: After quarter end, $62.6 million of 2030 Notes converted into common stock, and 3,869,808 anti-dilution restricted stock units were issued to certain key employees. Source
  • Broadening into functional food and beverage: The CEO described the quarter as a broadening of the company into functional food and beverage, a rapidly growing category. Source

“This quarter marked a decisive broadening of our Company aperture to include the rapidly growing functional food and beverage category.”

Ethan Brown, President and CEO

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Second-quarter net revenue expected at about $60 million to $65 million was given for the first time in these documents. Source
  • New: The CEO described the quarter as a broadening of the company into functional food and beverage, a rapidly growing category. Source
  • New: The company reports that the year-ago quarter's comparative figures were corrected for inventory valuation and debt issuance cost errors. Source
  • New: After quarter end, $62.6 million of 2030 Notes converted into common stock, and the company issued 52,092,284 shares to converting noteholders. Source

Results and other income

  • Net revenue fell on lower volume: Net revenues were $58.2 million, down 15.3% from $68.7 million. Volume of products sold fell 19.5%, partly offset by a 5.4% rise in net revenue per pound. Source
  • Operating loss narrowed: Loss from operations was $41.1 million, an operating margin of -70.6%, against $64.4 million and -93.6% in the year-ago period. Source
  • Net loss narrowed: Net loss was $28.5 million, or $0.06 per share, against $61.1 million, or $0.80 per share. Adjusted net loss per diluted share was $0.10, against $0.77. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed: Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $27.8 million, or -47.7% of net revenues, against a loss of $50.5 million, or -73.5%, a year earlier. Source
  • Other income offset part of loss: Total other income, net, was $12.6 million, including an $11.9 million gain on the derivative liability, a $6.1 million gain on debt extinguishment and a $1.3 million warrant gain. Source
  • Interest expense increased: Interest expense rose to $6.7 million from $1.0 million, tied to the delayed draw term loan facility. Euro-related currency transaction losses also weighed on other income. Source

Segments and regions

  • U.S. retail revenue fell 15.3%: U.S. retail net revenues were $26.6 million. Net revenue per pound fell 0.6%, on higher trade discounts and price decreases on some products. Source
  • U.S. foodservice revenue fell 29.7%: U.S. foodservice net revenues were $6.6 million, with volume down 31.8% and net revenue per pound up 3.0%. Source
  • International retail revenue rose: International retail net revenues rose 8.1% to $13.7 million, with volume up 0.3% and net revenue per pound up 7.8%. Source
  • International foodservice volume fell: International foodservice net revenues fell 25.9% to $11.3 million, with volume down 32.6% and net revenue per pound up 10.2%. Source

“we are pleased to report significant operating expense improvement and our lowest quarterly cash use in over two years.”

Ethan Brown, President and CEO

Customers and demand

  • QSR burger and chicken volume lower: International foodservice volume declined on lower sales of burger and chicken products to certain QSR customers. Source
  • U.S. foodservice lapped chicken sale: U.S. foodservice volume also reflected lapping a year-ago chicken sale to a QSR customer, together with category demand and reduced distribution points. Source
  • European demand and Canada distribution: International retail volume rose on European demand and limited distribution gains, partly offset by distribution losses in Canada. Source

Margins and pricing

  • Gross profit turned positive: Gross profit was $2.0 million, or gross margin of 3.4%, against a gross loss of $6.9 million, or -10.1%, in the year-ago period. Source
  • Lower cost of goods per pound: Cost of goods sold per pound fell on lower inventory provision and reduced manufacturing expenses, including depreciation, partly offset by higher materials costs. Source
  • Revenue per pound rose on mix and currency: Company-wide net revenue per pound rose on product sales mix and favorable currency, partly offset by higher trade discounts. Source
  • Trade discounts and price cuts in U.S. retail: U.S. retail revenue per pound was held down by higher trade discounts and price decreases on some products, partly offset by product mix. Source
  • Inventory balance declined: Inventory was $68.9 million at March 28, 2026, down from $84.0 million at December 31, 2025. Source

“We look forward to continuing this transformative work across the balance of the year.”

Ethan Brown, President and CEO

Costs and special items

  • Operating expenses declined year over year: Operating expenses were $43.1 million, against $57.4 million a year earlier. R&D was $5.2 million and SG&A was $37.9 million, against $7.5 million and $50.0 million. Source
  • Lower donation, legal and salary costs: Excluding certain items, the decline in operating expenses was mainly driven by lower product donation costs, legal expenses and salary and related expenses. Source
  • Charges within operating expenses: Operating expenses included $5.1 million of charges, including $3.7 million of incremental share-based compensation tied to the convertible debt exchange and $0.8 million of non-routine SG&A. Source
  • China wind-down costs in cost of goods: Expenses tied to ceasing operations in China were $0.5 million in cost of goods sold, against $0.9 million a year earlier. Source

Capital, cash and debt

  • Operating cash use declined: Net cash used in operating activities was $5.0 million, against $26.1 million a year earlier. Capital expenditures were $2.5 million, against $4.5 million. Source
  • Cash and debt at quarter end: Cash and restricted cash were $205.8 million at March 28, 2026. Debt, net of discount, was $411.6 million, including undiscounted future cash flows of the 2030 Notes. Source
  • Note conversion after quarter end: After quarter end, $62.6 million of 2030 Notes converted into common stock, and 3,869,808 anti-dilution restricted stock units were issued to certain key employees. Source
  • Shares outstanding increased: Shares issued and outstanding were 463,195,066 at March 28, 2026, against 453,688,312 at December 31, 2025. Source

Strategy and brand direction

  • Broadening into functional food and beverage: The CEO described the quarter as a broadening of the company into functional food and beverage, a rapidly growing category. Source
  • Core business remains the focus: Management said it applies its brand, expertise and technology to adjacent markets while staying focused on the core business. Source
  • Expense and cash-use progress cited: Management cited significant operating expense improvement and the lowest quarterly cash use in over two years. Source

Prior-period corrections

  • Year-ago quarter corrected for immaterial errors: Errors in inventory valuation and debt issuance costs affected the year-ago quarter. Management determined them immaterial and corrected them in this release. Source
  • Comparatives reflect the corrections: Inventory valuation raised year-ago cost of goods sold by $5.9 million and debt issuance costs raised SG&A by $2.3 million. Comparatives may differ from the earlier Form 10-Q. Source
  • Year-ago per-share figure corrected: Year-ago net loss per share was $(0.69) as previously reported and $(0.80) as corrected, with corrections of $(0.08) and $(0.03). Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • Transformative work continues: Management said it looks forward to continuing the transformative work across the balance of the year. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Volume of products sold (thousand lbs) Source11,831 (prior 14,706; -19.5%)
U.S. volume of products sold (thousand lbs) SourceRetail 4,899; Foodservice 1,076
International volume of products sold (thousand lbs) SourceRetail 2,672; Foodservice 3,184

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Category demand and lost distribution points were cited as drivers of the U.S. retail volume decline. Source
  • External: Management said the operating environment carries elevated uncertainty and volatility that may affect realized results. Source
  • Operational: Arbitration over a contractual dispute with a former co-manufacturer added legal and other fees this quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior release said errors would be corrected in fiscal 2026 quarterly reports. This release reports the correction to the year-ago quarter.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.