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HF Foods Group Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 November 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 4.1% in quarter: Net revenue was $319.6 million, up 4.1% from $307.0 million. Management described this as the seventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year net revenue growth. Source
  • Net loss widened to $4.2 million: Net loss was $4.2 million against $0.9 million a year earlier. The company attributed the change mainly to a $2.9 million fall in operating income, which reflects $3.0 million of margin growth offset by a $5.9 million rise in selling and administrative expenses. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA fell 6.3%: Adjusted EBITDA was $11.0 million, down 6.3% from $11.7 million. The company attributed the decline to the higher net loss and to items listed in its Adjusted EBITDA table. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 16.7%: Gross profit was $53.4 million, up $3.0 million or 5.9%. Margin was 16.7% against 16.4%. The company cited Seafood volume, Searay margin and IEEPA tariff refunds received in the quarter. Source
  • Selling costs rose 11.9%: Distribution, selling and administrative expenses rose $5.9 million, or 11.9%. Management linked the rise to revolver amendment, property refinancing, the Searay acquisition and legal costs. Source
  • Searay added $4.2 million revenue: Searay Foods, acquired effective August 31, 2026, contributed $4.2 million of net revenue and about $0.6 million of Adjusted EBITDA, both for one month. Source
  • Operating cash flow reached $24.1 million: Operating cash flow was $24.1 million for the nine months, against $4.5 million a year earlier. The company said the $19.6 million increase was mainly driven by better inventory management. Source

“Our third quarter results reflect solid top line growth, marking our seventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year net revenue growth, even as industry-wide fuel costs continued to weigh on operating expenses,”

Felix Lin, President and Chief Executive Officer of HF Foods

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The Searay Foods acquisition, described in the prior quarter as an agreement to acquire, was completed effective August 31, 2026.
  • New: The revolving line of credit is $140.0 million, up from $125.0 million cited in the prior quarter. Source

Results and revenue drivers

  • Revenue rose 4.1% in quarter: Net revenue was $319.6 million, up 4.1% from $307.0 million. Management described this as the seventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year net revenue growth. Source
  • Net loss widened to $4.2 million: Net loss was $4.2 million against $0.9 million a year earlier. The company attributed the change mainly to a $2.9 million fall in operating income, which reflects $3.0 million of margin growth offset by a $5.9 million rise in selling and administrative expenses. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA fell 6.3%: Adjusted EBITDA was $11.0 million, down 6.3% from $11.7 million. The company attributed the decline to the higher net loss and to items listed in its Adjusted EBITDA table. Source
  • Other expense fell on swap gain: Other expense (income) fell $0.5 million, driven by a $0.9 million positive swap fair value change, partly offset by higher interest expense. The income tax benefit fell $0.9 million. Source
  • Seafood volume drove quarterly revenue: Seafood volume growth and Produce and Commodity pricing improvement lifted revenue. Meat & Poultry price decreases partly offset the increase. Source
  • Nine-month revenue rose 3.8%: Net revenue for the nine months was $955.4 million, up $35.1 million or 3.8%, led by Seafood volume and pricing and by Commodity and Produce pricing. Source

Margins and selling costs

  • Gross margin rose to 16.7%: Gross profit was $53.4 million, up $3.0 million or 5.9%. Margin was 16.7% against 16.4%. The company cited Seafood volume, Searay margin and IEEPA tariff refunds received in the quarter. Source
  • Selling costs rose 11.9%: Distribution, selling and administrative expenses rose $5.9 million, or 11.9%. Management linked the rise to revolver amendment, property refinancing, the Searay acquisition and legal costs. Source
  • Fuel and truck costs rose: Auto and truck expense rose on elevated fuel costs and truck lease expense. Lower repair and maintenance spending from fleet upgrades partly offset the increase. Source

“We are confident in our ability to turn near-term cost pressure into long-term value for our shareholders as we strengthen our position as the leading nationwide Asian specialty food distributor.”

Felix Lin, President and Chief Executive Officer of HF Foods

Nine-month results

  • Nine-month net loss narrowed: Net loss was $0.3 million against $1.9 million a year earlier. Management attributed the improvement to a $4.4 million favorable swap change, $1.8 million of employee retention credit including interest, and a $1.4 million Utah building gain. Source
  • Nine-month margin fell to 16.6%: Gross profit rose 1.6% to $159.0 million, while margin was 16.6% against 17.0%. The company cited IEEPA tariff refunds and incremental margin from Searay. Source
  • Nine-month selling costs rose 4.5%: Distribution, selling and administrative expenses rose $6.8 million, or 4.5%, to $156.9 million. Management cited auto and truck costs, fleet savings, the revolver, property refinancing, Searay and depreciation. Source
  • Nine-month adjusted EBITDA fell 1.8%: Adjusted EBITDA decreased 1.8% to $34.7 million from $35.4 million. The company said the change reflected items listed in its Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation. Source

Searay acquisition contribution

  • Searay added $4.2 million revenue: Searay Foods, acquired effective August 31, 2026, contributed $4.2 million of net revenue and about $0.6 million of Adjusted EBITDA, both for one month. Source
  • Acquisition cash outflow in nine months: Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired, was $41.8 million for the nine months. Capital expenditure was $22.3 million over the same period. Source
  • Searay integration progressing: Management said the Searay integration is progressing well, and described the deal as the company's first expansion outside the United States. Source

Cash flow and liquidity

  • Operating cash flow reached $24.1 million: Operating cash flow was $24.1 million for the nine months, against $4.5 million a year earlier. The company said the $19.6 million increase was mainly driven by better inventory management. Source
  • Cash and checks outstanding: At September 30, 2026, cash was $16.4 million and checks issued not presented for payment were $5.3 million. Source
  • Financing inflow tied to refinancing: Net cash from financing activities rose by $40.1 million, which the company attributed to refinancing. Source

Non-GAAP adjustments and per-share

  • Adjusted net income fell 52.1%: Adjusted net income was $2.1 million, down 52.1%. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.04 against $0.08 a year earlier. Source
  • Other non-routine costs rose: Other non-routine expense was $3.7 million in the quarter, against $0.3 million a year earlier. The company said it covers legal and consulting costs for corporate projects and strategic initiatives. Source
  • Executive transition costs fell: Executive transition and organizational redesign costs were $44,000 in the quarter, against $588,000 a year earlier. Source
  • Transformation costs declined: Business transformation costs were $0.5 million, against $1.6 million a year earlier, for strategic supply chain and technology projects. Source

Strategy and efficiency focus

  • Focus on efficiency and cross-selling: With the transformation foundation largely built, management said the focus is route and warehouse efficiency, purchasing discipline, and cross-selling across the Southeast and Midwest. Source
  • Fuel mitigation actions under way: Management said it is taking actions to mitigate fuel-related cost pressure on operating expenses. Source
  • Efficiency programs offset costs: Management said efficiency programs built through the transformation continue to help offset higher costs. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Meat & Poultry price decreases offset part of the revenue growth in the quarter. Source
  • External: Management said industry-wide fuel costs continued to weigh on operating expenses. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior quarter described the transformation program foundation as largely built; this release repeats the point and states no status against it.

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.