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Marzetti Co.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 May 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales declined 1.0% in quarter: Net sales fell 1.0% to $453.4 million; excluding $1.5 million of TSA sales, adjusted net sales fell 0.9% to $451.8 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS $1.35 versus $1.49: Net income was $37.1 million, or $1.35 per diluted share, against $1.49 a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income down $3.3 million: Adjusted operating income, excluding acquisition costs and insurance proceeds, declined $2.3 million to $49.3 million, as higher SG&A offset gross profit gains. Source
  • Retail sales fell 3.2%: Retail net sales were $233.8 million, down 3.2%, on a 5.6% fall in pounds shipped, partly offset by inflationary pricing. Source
  • Adjusted Foodservice sales up 1.8%: Reported Foodservice net sales rose 1.5% to $219.6 million; adjusted for TSA sales, they rose 1.8% to $218.1 million. Source
  • Gross profit set third-quarter record: Gross profit rose $1.3 million to $107.2 million; reported gross margin was 23.6%, up about 50 basis points from 23.1%. Source
  • SG&A rose on acquisition costs: SG&A rose to $61.4 million, including $3.5 million of acquisition costs, and reflects higher personnel and IT investment to enable future growth. Source
  • Bachan’s acquisition completed May 1: The company completed its acquisition of Bachan’s, Inc. on May 1, following the definitive agreement signed after second-quarter end. Source

“We were pleased to report record-high gross profit in the quarter despite the decline in net sales.”

David A. Ciesinski, CEO

What changed from last quarter

  • New: A definitive agreement for Bachan’s was announced after second-quarter end; the company completed the acquisition on May 1. Source
  • Ended: The Winland Foods temporary supply agreement sales concluded in the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as the prior release had expected. Source

Quarter results and year-to-date

  • Net sales declined 1.0% in quarter: Net sales fell 1.0% to $453.4 million; excluding $1.5 million of TSA sales, adjusted net sales fell 0.9% to $451.8 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS $1.35 versus $1.49: Net income was $37.1 million, or $1.35 per diluted share, against $1.49 a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income down $3.3 million: Adjusted operating income, excluding acquisition costs and insurance proceeds, declined $2.3 million to $49.3 million, as higher SG&A offset gross profit gains. Source
  • Nine-month sales and EPS higher: Nine-month net sales rose 2.2% to $1,464.8 million; adjusted net sales rose 0.9%; diluted EPS was $5.21 versus $4.89. Source

Retail segment

  • Retail sales fell 3.2%: Retail net sales were $233.8 million, down 3.2%, on a 5.6% fall in pounds shipped, partly offset by inflationary pricing. Source
  • Frozen garlic bread gained share: Management said sales of New York Bakery frozen garlic bread continued to grow and gain market share. Source
  • Easter pull-forward lifted rolls: Sister Schubert’s dinner rolls benefited from demand pulled forward by the earlier Easter holiday. Source
  • Retail operating income higher: Retail operating income was $47.1 million in the quarter, against $45.6 million a year earlier. Source

“These sales gains were more than offset by the impacts of category softness and reduced sales into the club channel.”

David A. Ciesinski, CEO

Foodservice and Winland supply agreement

  • Adjusted Foodservice sales up 1.8%: Reported Foodservice net sales rose 1.5% to $219.6 million; adjusted for TSA sales, they rose 1.8% to $218.1 million. Source
  • Core national chain accounts drove growth: Management attributed Foodservice growth to higher demand from several core national chain restaurant accounts. Source
  • TSA sales declined to $1.5 million: TSA sales were $1.5 million, versus $2.1 million last year; they are reported in Foodservice and did not contribute meaningfully to gross profit. Source
  • Foodservice operating income lower: Foodservice operating income was $27.4 million, against $28.1 million a year earlier. Source

Costs, margins and SG&A

  • Gross profit set third-quarter record: Gross profit rose $1.3 million to $107.2 million; reported gross margin was 23.6%, up about 50 basis points from 23.1%. Source
  • Cost savings programs cited: Management linked the gross profit gain to its ongoing cost savings programs. Source
  • SG&A rose on acquisition costs: SG&A rose to $61.4 million, including $3.5 million of acquisition costs, and reflects higher personnel and IT investment to enable future growth. Source
  • Insurance proceeds on impaired equipment: The $0.8 million of insurance proceeds relates to the manufacturing equipment impairment recognized in the fiscal second quarter. Source

Bachan’s acquisition and costs

  • Bachan’s acquisition completed May 1: The company completed its acquisition of Bachan’s, Inc. on May 1, following the definitive agreement signed after second-quarter end. Source
  • Deal costs reduced EPS by $0.10: Acquisition-related SG&A costs of $3.5 million reduced diluted EPS by $0.10 in the quarter, against $1.7 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Bachan’s sales expected in final quarter: Management expects incremental sales from Bachan’s in the fiscal fourth quarter, in addition to Retail product introductions. Source

Balance sheet and cash

  • Cash rose to $218.4 million: Cash and equivalents were $218.4 million at March 31, 2026, up from $201.6 million at December 31, 2025 and $161.5 million at June 30, 2025. Source
  • Equity rose to $1.04 billion: Shareholders’ equity was $1,044.8 million at March 31, 2026, against $998.5 million at June 30, 2025; total assets were $1,356.1 million. Source
  • Noncurrent liabilities rose: Noncurrent liabilities and deferred income taxes were $112.4 million, up from $89.9 million at June 30, 2025. Source

Dividends and share count

  • Dividend $1.00 per share in quarter: Cash dividends were $1.00 per common share in the quarter, against $0.95 last year; nine-month dividends were $2.95 versus $2.80. Source
  • Diluted share count slightly lower: Diluted weighted average shares were 27.377 million in the quarter, versus 27.496 million a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 May 2026

  • Retail product launches in fiscal Q4: Management expects Retail sales to benefit from new product introductions, including named Marzetti and Olive Garden products, in the final fiscal quarter. Source
  • Larger Chick-fil-A bottle added: A larger-sized bottle of Chick-fil-A Avocado Lime Ranch dressing is being added. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Retail sales volume, pounds shipped Source-5.6%
Foodservice sales volume, pounds shipped (excluding TSA) Source+0.8%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited category softness and reduced club channel sales as offsetting Retail sales gains in the quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior release expected the TSA sales to conclude in the March 2026 quarter; the current release says they concluded in that quarter.
  • Met: Management said the Bachan’s acquisition was completed on May 1, as previously announced. Source
  • Met: The prior release anticipated some Retail sales pulled into the March quarter; the current release says Sister Schubert’s benefited from that pull-forward.

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.