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HF Foods Group Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 May 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 4.5% year on year: Net revenue was $312.0 million, up $13.6 million or 4.5% from $298.4 million in the prior year period. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 3.8%: Adjusted EBITDA was $10.1 million against $9.8 million a year earlier, after the adjustments listed in Appendix A. Source
  • Seafood led the revenue gain: Management attributed the revenue increase mainly to volume growth and pricing improvement in Seafood, followed by volume growth in Commodity. Source
  • Gross margin fell to 16.2%: Gross profit was $50.5 million, down 0.8%, and gross margin was 16.2% against 17.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Operating cash flow reached $15.3 million: Cash from operations was $15.3 million, compared with $6.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Chicago warehouse acquired: Management referred to the recent acquisition of the Chicago warehouse, after the prior release cited facility work in Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago. Source
  • Call centers and ERP cited as benefits: Management cites operational benefits from the consolidated sales call center structure and continued digital infrastructure work after full ERP implementation. Source
  • Near-term cost pressures persist: Management said near-term cost pressures persist, while it remains confident in its long-term growth trajectory. Source

“Our first quarter performance demonstrated continued momentum from our transformation initiatives even as the broader foodservice industry navigated ongoing headwinds,”

Felix Lin, President and Chief Executive Officer

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The Chicago warehouse acquisition is reported as completed; the prior release cited facility initiatives in Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago. Source
  • Ended: The Utah facility sale is reported; the $2.8 million of assets held for sale at year-end no longer appear on the March 31 balance sheet. Source
  • New: The company recorded $0.3 million of ATM sale proceeds and $0.8 million to acquire noncontrolling interests; neither appeared in the prior-year quarter. Source

Results and revenue growth

  • Revenue rose 4.5% year on year: Net revenue was $312.0 million, up $13.6 million or 4.5% from $298.4 million in the prior year period. Source
  • Revenue growth above fourth quarter: Revenue growth of 4.5% compares with 0.9% in the fourth quarter of 2025, as reported in the prior release.
  • Net income turned to profit: Net income was $1.4 million against a net loss of $1.5 million a year earlier; net income attributable to HF Foods Group Inc. was $1.2 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 3.8%: Adjusted EBITDA was $10.1 million against $9.8 million a year earlier, after the adjustments listed in Appendix A. Source

Products and segments

  • Seafood led the revenue gain: Management attributed the revenue increase mainly to volume growth and pricing improvement in Seafood, followed by volume growth in Commodity. Source
  • Seafood carries lower margins: Management said higher sales of lower-margin products such as Seafood weighed on gross profit this quarter. Source
  • Meat and poultry cited last year: The prior release listed Meat & Poultry among full-year 2025 revenue drivers; the first-quarter release does not mention it.

“While near-term cost pressures persist, we are confident in our long- term growth trajectory and our ability to create sustained value for our shareholders as we execute against our strategic vision.”

Felix Lin, President and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margin and pricing

  • Gross margin fell to 16.2%: Gross profit was $50.5 million, down 0.8%, and gross margin was 16.2% against 17.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Landed costs rose: Management cited an uptick in landed costs as a cause of the lower gross profit. Source
  • Operating expenses fell slightly: Distribution, selling and administrative expenses fell $0.3 million to $49.5 million, on lower professional fees and bad debt, partly offset by higher auto and truck and depreciation. Source
  • Operating expense ratio improved: Distribution, selling and administrative expenses were 15.9% of net revenue, against 16.7% a year earlier. Source

Net income and non-GAAP measures

  • Swap valuation and other income: Net income was helped by a $2.0 million favorable swap fair value change and a $1.7 million rise in other income, mainly from a property sale. Source
  • Non-GAAP net income down 3.6%: Non-GAAP net income was $3.4 million, down 3.6%; non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.06 against $0.07 a year earlier. Source
  • Transformation costs increased: Business transformation costs were $0.4 million against $0.2 million, for launch and continued implementation of strategic projects. Source

“The recent acquisition of our Chicago warehouse and the near-completion of our Charlotte facility position us to unlock substantial cross-selling opportunities in high-growth markets across the Southeast and Midwest.”

Felix Lin, President and Chief Executive Officer

Cash flow and liquidity

  • Operating cash flow reached $15.3 million: Cash from operations was $15.3 million, compared with $6.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Payables and add-backs drove increase: The $8.3 million increase came mainly from non-cash expense add-backs and higher accounts payable, offset by inventory purchases and receivables. Source
  • Cash and credit access at quarter end: Cash was $11.1 million, with about $55.2 million in additional funds available, and checks issued not presented were $5.0 million. Source
  • Line of credit borrowings rose: Line of credit borrowings were $61.8 million at March 31, 2026, against $55.8 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Facilities and capital spending

  • Chicago warehouse acquired: Management referred to the recent acquisition of the Chicago warehouse, after the prior release cited facility work in Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago. Source
  • Charlotte facility nearly complete: The Charlotte facility is described as near completion; the release gives no completion date. Source
  • Property and equipment spending: Purchases of property and equipment were $15.3 million, and net property and equipment rose to $176.5 million from $163.4 million. Source
  • Utah facility sold: Assets held for sale of $2.8 million at year-end no longer appear at March 31; the release cites a gain on the Utah facility sale. Source

Strategy and transformation

  • Transformation foundation largely in place: The prior release said the transformation foundation was largely in place, and the first-quarter release cites continued momentum from the initiatives.
  • Call centers and ERP cited as benefits: Management cites operational benefits from the consolidated sales call center structure and continued digital infrastructure work after full ERP implementation. Source
  • Organic growth and selective M&A: Stated priorities are operational efficiency, organic growth through network optimization and cross-selling, and selective M&A aimed at the Asian specialty food category. Source

Demand, costs and leadership

  • Industry headwinds persist: Management said the broader foodservice industry navigated ongoing headwinds, even with continued transformation momentum. Source
  • Near-term cost pressures persist: Management said near-term cost pressures persist, while it remains confident in its long-term growth trajectory. Source
  • Executive transition costs fell: Executive transition and organizational redesign costs were $0.2 million, against $1.0 million a year earlier, and are excluded from non-GAAP results. Source

Coming up, as management said on 11 May 2026

  • Cross-selling planned in two regions: Management says the Chicago and Charlotte facilities position the company to unlock cross-selling in Southeast and Midwest markets. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Available funds under the line of credit depend on a borrowing base calculation. Source
  • Demand: Management said the broader foodservice industry continues to face ongoing headwinds. Source
  • Operational: Higher landed costs and lower-margin Seafood sales weighed on gross profit this quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release described these as completed milestones; the first-quarter release cites their operational benefits.
  • Not stated: The prior release said these initiatives would unlock cross-selling; the first-quarter release reports the Chicago acquisition and Charlotte near completion.

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.