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PepsiCo Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 16 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 11 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net revenue rose 8.5 percent: Net revenue was $19,443 million against $17,919 million. The company attributed the increase to 3.4 points from foreign exchange, 2.6 percent organic growth and 2.5 points from acquisitions and divestitures. Source
  • Operating profit up 24 percent: Operating profit was $3,213 million against $2,583 million, and operating margin was 16.5 percent against 14.4 percent. Net commodity mark-to-market gains and a net favorable acquisition-related item were included. Source
  • Core EPS up 9 percent: Core EPS was $1.61 against $1.48, up 9 percent, and core constant currency EPS rose 5 percent. Reported EPS was $1.70 against $1.33, up 27 percent. Source
  • North America sequential acceleration: PepsiCo Foods North America reported net revenue up 2 percent with organic growth of 1 percent. PepsiCo Beverages North America reported up 9 percent with organic growth of 2 percent. Source
  • Convenient foods volume improved: Management pointed to a notable improvement in convenient foods organic volume. PepsiCo Foods volume grew as innovation and affordability initiatives began to take hold. Source
  • Operating cash flow was $41 million: Net cash from operating activities was $41 million against negative $973 million a year earlier. Capital spending was $447 million against $603 million. Source
  • Fiscal 2026 guidance affirmed: The company affirmed fiscal 2026 financial guidance and expected cash returns to shareholders, with the listed figures unchanged from the prior release. Source

“We are pleased with our first-quarter results, which featured an acceleration in both net revenue and organic revenue growth - with a notable improvement in convenient foods organic volume.”

Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Organic revenue growth Sourcefiscal 20262 to 4 percentKept
Core constant currency EPS growth Sourcefiscal 20264 to 6 percentKept
Core annual effective tax rate Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 22 percentKept
Capital spending Sourcefiscal 2026below 5 percent of net revenueKept
Free cash flow conversion ratio Sourcefiscal 2026at least 80 percentKept
Total cash returns to shareholders Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $8.9 billion: dividends $7.9 billion and share repurchases $1.0 billionKept
Foreign exchange translation effect on reported net revenue and core EPS Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 1 percentage point tailwindKept
Contribution from 2025 acquisitions net of divestitures Sourcefiscal 20261 percentage point to reported net revenue growthKept
Implied net revenue growth Sourcefiscal 20264 to 6 percentKept
Implied core EPS growth Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 5 to 7 percentKept
Annualized dividend per share Sourcefrom the June 2026 payment4 percent increase, $5.92 per share from $5.69Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Fiscal 2026 guidance was affirmed. The listed guidance figures match the February release, and the 7 to 9 percent excluding-tax figure was not repeated. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net revenue rose 8.5 percent: Net revenue was $19,443 million against $17,919 million. The company attributed the increase to 3.4 points from foreign exchange, 2.6 percent organic growth and 2.5 points from acquisitions and divestitures. Source
  • Organic growth from pricing and volume: Management said organic revenue growth reflected effective net pricing and a slight contribution from organic volume growth. Source
  • Operating profit up 24 percent: Operating profit was $3,213 million against $2,583 million, and operating margin was 16.5 percent against 14.4 percent. Net commodity mark-to-market gains and a net favorable acquisition-related item were included. Source
  • Core EPS up 9 percent: Core EPS was $1.61 against $1.48, up 9 percent, and core constant currency EPS rose 5 percent. Reported EPS was $1.70 against $1.33, up 27 percent. Source
  • Core profit drivers named: Management attributed core operating profit growth of 9 percent mainly to productivity savings, net revenue growth and a 4-point foreign exchange benefit, partly offset by operating cost increases. Source

Segments and regions

  • North America sequential acceleration: PepsiCo Foods North America reported net revenue up 2 percent with organic growth of 1 percent. PepsiCo Beverages North America reported up 9 percent with organic growth of 2 percent. Source
  • International segments accelerated sequentially: Each international segment showed sequential acceleration in net revenue growth. EMEA reported up 18 percent with organic up 7 percent; Asia Pacific Foods up 11 percent reported and 7 percent organic; LatAm Foods up 16 percent reported and 3 percent organic. Source
  • Core operating profit by segment: Core operating profit rose 35 percent in Asia Pacific Foods, 29 percent in EMEA, 23 percent in LatAm Foods, 18 percent in IB Franchise and 7 percent in PBNA. PFNA fell 4 percent. Source

“As we look ahead, we aim to successfully execute our commercial plans and tightly manage costs to help fund investments to accelerate growth.”

Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta

Products and commercial agenda

  • Convenient foods volume improved: Management pointed to a notable improvement in convenient foods organic volume. PepsiCo Foods volume grew as innovation and affordability initiatives began to take hold. Source
  • Large brands being restaged: The commercial agenda includes restaging large global brands, innovation activity and certain affordability initiatives. Management said it is being executed well. Source
  • Beverage volume trends improved: PepsiCo Beverages volume trends improved sequentially and against the prior year, according to the company. Source

Costs, margins and tax

  • Gross margin eased year on year: Reported gross margin was 55.2 percent against 55.8 percent a year earlier. Core gross margin was 55.1 percent against 55.7 percent. Source
  • SG&A expenses rose: SG&A expenses were $7,518 million against $7,410 million. Core SG&A was $7,665 million against $7,194 million. Source
  • Commodity gains sat in corporate: Reported operating profit included $182 million of net mark-to-market gains on commodity derivatives in corporate unallocated expenses. Core results exclude them. Source
  • Core tax rate higher: The core effective tax rate was 21.1 percent against 20.4 percent a year earlier. The reported effective tax rate was 21.3 percent in both periods. Source

“We are encouraged with the resilience of the International business while North America continued to make progress in the first quarter.”

Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Operating cash flow was $41 million: Net cash from operating activities was $41 million against negative $973 million a year earlier. Capital spending was $447 million against $603 million. Source
  • Dividends and buybacks paid: Cash dividends paid were $1,966 million and share repurchases were $182 million, against $1,882 million and $183 million a year earlier. Source
  • Debt balances rose at quarter end: Short-term debt obligations were $10,151 million and long-term debt obligations $42,577 million at March 21, 2026, against $6,861 million and $42,321 million at December 27, 2025. Source
  • Full-year cash returns maintained: Full-year 2026 cash returns to shareholders are expected to be about $8.9 billion, made up of $7.9 billion in dividends and $1.0 billion in share repurchases. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Commercial plans and cost control: Management said it aims to execute its commercial plans and tightly manage costs to help fund investments to accelerate growth. Source
  • Productivity savings to fund growth: The February release set a goal of a record year of productivity savings to help fund growth investments. The current release cites productivity savings as a driver of core profit growth.

Guidance basis and tax

  • Fiscal 2026 guidance affirmed: The company affirmed fiscal 2026 financial guidance and expected cash returns to shareholders, with the listed figures unchanged from the prior release. Source
  • Global minimum tax inside implied growth: Implied net revenue growth of 4 to 6 percent and core EPS growth of about 5 to 7 percent include global minimum tax regulations. The prior release also gave 7 to 9 percent core EPS growth excluding that impact.

Coming up, as management said on 16 April 2026

  • Prepared management remarks posted: Prepared management remarks on first-quarter results and the business update, including 2026 guidance, were scheduled to be posted on the company website at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern. Source
  • Live question and answer session: A live question and answer session with investors and financial analysts was scheduled for 8:15 a.m. Eastern on April 16, 2026. Source
  • Dividend increase from June 2026: The 4 percent increase in the annualized dividend per share begins with the June 2026 payment, the 54th consecutive annual increase. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Organic volume change, PFNA Source2%
Organic volume change, PBNA Source-4%
Organic volume change, IB Franchise Source-3%
Organic volume change, EMEA Source6%
Organic volume change, LatAm Foods Source-2%
Organic volume change, Asia Pacific Foods Source10%

Risks management discussed

  • External: Foreign exchange and commodity mark-to-market effects are not predicted, so guidance is given on a non-GAAP basis that excludes them. Source
  • Regulatory: Global minimum tax regulations are included in the implied fiscal 2026 growth figures, and the company flagged their anticipated impact. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it affirmed the fiscal 2026 guidance and expected cash returns given earlier in the year. Source
  • Not stated: Management described the restaging, innovation and affordability agenda as being executed, with business performance improving. Source
  • Not stated: The February release stated an aim for a record year of productivity savings to help fund growth investments. This release does not restate the aim as a figure.

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.