greeksoup/ stock research

Hormel Foods Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 new, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales rose on organic growth: Net sales were $3.03 billion, up 1.3%. Organic net sales rose 2%, the fifth consecutive quarter of organic net sales growth, excluding the Justin's sale. Source
  • Diluted EPS up, adjusted EPS down: Diluted EPS was $0.33 against $0.31. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.34 against $0.35, after excluding the Justin's gain and restructuring, consulting and transformation costs. Source
  • Retail volume and profit fell: Retail organic volume fell 6% and organic net sales fell 2%; segment profit fell 19%. Source
  • Foodservice sales up 7%, tenth quarter: Foodservice organic net sales rose 7%, the tenth consecutive quarter of organic growth for the segment; segment profit rose 13%. Source
  • Operating margin up, adjusted margin down: GAAP operating margin rose to 8.0% from 7.6%; adjusted operating margin eased to 8.2% from 8.5%. Source
  • Whole-bird turkey sale closing in Q2: The definitive agreement to sell the whole-bird turkey business is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Source
  • Cash on hand rose $197 million: Cash on hand was $868 million at quarter end, up from the end of fiscal 2025. Source

“We delivered solid first quarter fiscal 2026 results, with adjusted diluted earnings per share 1 of $0.34, supported by our fifth consecutive quarter of organic net sales 1 growth”

Jeff Ettinger, interim chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales SourceFiscal 2026$12.2 billion to $12.5 billionKept
Organic net sales growth SourceFiscal 20261% to 4%Kept
Operating income (GAAP) SourceFiscal 2026$1.02 billion to $1.08 billion
Adjusted operating income SourceFiscal 2026$1.06 billion to $1.12 billionKept
Diluted EPS (GAAP) SourceFiscal 2026$1.37 to $1.46Raised from $1.29 - $1.39
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFiscal 2026$1.43 to $1.51Kept
Whole-bird turkey sale impact on net sales SourceFiscal 2026approximately $50 million reductionNew
Transform and Modernize adjustment to operating income SourceFiscal 2026$43 million to $49 million
Restructuring adjustment to operating income SourceFiscal 2026$8.5 million
Consulting Agreement adjustment to operating income SourceFiscal 2026$7.8 million
Justin's gain adjustment to operating income SourceFiscal 2026$(23.5) million
Transform and Modernize adjustment to diluted EPS SourceFiscal 2026$0.06 to $0.07
Restructuring adjustment to diluted EPS SourceFiscal 2026$0.01
Justin's gain adjustment to diluted EPS SourceFiscal 2026$(0.03)
Consulting Agreement adjustment to diluted EPS SourceFiscal 2026$0.01

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Diluted EPS guidance moved up to $1.37 to $1.46 from $1.29 to $1.39. Source
  • New: Sale of a majority interest in Justin's was completed in the first quarter. Source
  • New: A definitive agreement to sell the whole-bird turkey business was announced before the results, with Life-Science Innovations as buyer.
  • New guidance: Guidance now quantifies the turkey sale at about $50 million less fiscal 2026 net sales, outside the guidance ranges. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net sales rose on organic growth: Net sales were $3.03 billion, up 1.3%. Organic net sales rose 2%, the fifth consecutive quarter of organic net sales growth, excluding the Justin's sale. Source
  • Diluted EPS up, adjusted EPS down: Diluted EPS was $0.33 against $0.31. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.34 against $0.35, after excluding the Justin's gain and restructuring, consulting and transformation costs. Source
  • Operating income up, adjusted down: Operating income was $244 million against $228 million; adjusted operating income was $247 million against $254 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Retail volume and profit fell: Retail organic volume fell 6% and organic net sales fell 2%; segment profit fell 19%. Source
  • Foodservice sales up 7%, tenth quarter: Foodservice organic net sales rose 7%, the tenth consecutive quarter of organic growth for the segment; segment profit rose 13%. Source
  • Jennie-O and Planters grew: Key priority brands grew net sales year over year, including Jennie-O ground turkey and Planters snack nuts, despite Retail declines. Source
  • International volume and sales grew: International organic volume and organic net sales both grew; the company cited China and SPAM-led branded exports. Source
  • International profit rose on lower SG&A: International segment profit rose 10% on lower SG&A spend and China growth, partly offset by lower export margins. Source

“Our performance this quarter demonstrates the strength of our value-added, protein-centric portfolio and our disciplined execution against our key priorities, including pricing actions that are helping to close the gap between profitability and top-line growth”

Jeff Ettinger, interim chief executive officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Operating margin up, adjusted margin down: GAAP operating margin rose to 8.0% from 7.6%; adjusted operating margin eased to 8.2% from 8.5%. Source
  • Retail profit hit by input costs: Retail segment profit fell on lower sales, higher raw material input costs and higher logistics expenses. Source
  • Foodservice profit lifted by pricing: Foodservice segment profit rose, primarily from pricing actions that the company said remained aligned with market dynamics. Source
  • Effective tax rate rose: The effective tax rate was 22.4% against 21.8% a year earlier. Source

Demand and volume

  • Total volume down 3.9%: Total volume was 1,013,764 thousand pounds, down 3.9% reported and 3.8% organic. Source
  • Foodservice volume flat, sales up: Foodservice volume was flat while net sales growth was supported by solutions-based products and the direct-selling organization. Source
  • Private label exits weighed on Retail: Previously anticipated factors drove Retail declines, including an exit from select private label snack nut items and declines in deli items. Source

Portfolio shaping

  • Justin's majority stake sold: The company sold 51% of its Justin's, LLC equity interest in the first quarter and recorded a gain, excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Whole-bird turkey sale closing in Q2: The definitive agreement to sell the whole-bird turkey business is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Source
  • Jennie-O kept in growth strategy: Management said Jennie-O remains part of its growth strategy and the move aims to accelerate value-added turkey growth. Source

Cash, capital and returns

  • Operating cash flow rose: Operating cash flow was $349 million against $309 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Cash on hand rose $197 million: Cash on hand was $868 million at quarter end, up from the end of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Inventories fell $100 million: Inventories were $1.6 billion at quarter end, down $100 million from the end of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Dividends returned $160 million: About $160 million was returned to stockholders through dividends during the quarter. Source
  • Capital projects in China and technology: The largest capital projects were an ambient meat snack facility in Jiaxing, China, and investments in data and technology. Source

Leadership and adjusted items

  • Former CEO consulting through April 2027: The company agreed with the former CEO that he will provide consulting services until April 2027; related costs are excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Restructuring plan targets admin costs: A corporate restructuring plan begun in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 aims to reduce administrative expenses; its charges are excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Transform and Modernize costs excluded: Transform and Modernize costs that end with the project are excluded from adjusted results; ongoing software and internal costs are not. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 February 2026

  • Transaction impact details after closing: Management said it will give more detail on the turkey transaction's impacts after the sale is completed. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Turkey-sale guidance excludes possible gains or losses that the company cannot yet estimate because accounting implications are still being evaluated. Source
  • External: Management cites exposure to volatile commodity markets as a reason for the portfolio sales. Source
  • Operational: Higher raw material input costs and logistics expenses weighed on Retail segment profit alongside lower sales. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The preliminary release said details would come with first-quarter results; the February 26 release says financial details have not been disclosed.

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.