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Performance Food Group Co.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 May 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales rose 6.4%: Net sales grew to $16.3 billion on higher cases sold, a favorable mix shift and inflation-driven price per case. Total case volume rose 4.4%. Source
  • Net income fell on higher costs: Net income fell $16.6 million to $41.7 million, partly offset by gross profit gains and unrealized fuel collar gains. Diluted EPS was $0.27; adjusted diluted EPS was $0.80. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 6.6%: Adjusted EBITDA rose to $410.6 million from $385.1 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Convenience EBITDA rose 34.1%: Convenience net sales rose 8.7% to $6.2 billion on new chain customers and an acquisition. Segment Adjusted EBITDA rose to $100.2 million. Source
  • Independent case growth led volume: Independent case volume rose 7.3%, and organic independent case volume rose 6.5%, from new and expanded independent business. Source
  • Gross profit rose on procurement: Gross profit rose 6.4% to $1.9 billion, mainly from procurement efficiencies. Growth in the independent channel, which carries additional services, also added to it. Source
  • Operating expenses rose 8.6%: Operating expenses rose to $1.8 billion, driven by personnel costs, professional fees, depreciation on finance-leased equipment, insurance, and fuel. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose: Nine-month operating cash flow was $1,071.9 million, versus $827.1 million, helped by $51.0 million of income tax refunds and working capital changes. Source
  • Free cash flow rose to $806.0 million: Free cash flow was $806.0 million for nine months, against $494.4 million a year earlier, after capital expenditures. Source

“Despite a challenging business environment, our organization delivered excellent top-line performance in the third quarter”

Scott McPherson, President & Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales SourceFull fiscal year 2026approximately $67.7 billion to $68.0 billion
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull fiscal year 2026approximately $1.9 billion to $1.93 billion

Third-quarter results and growth drivers

  • Net sales rose 6.4%: Net sales grew to $16.3 billion on higher cases sold, a favorable mix shift and inflation-driven price per case. Total case volume rose 4.4%. Source
  • Net income fell on higher costs: Net income fell $16.6 million to $41.7 million, partly offset by gross profit gains and unrealized fuel collar gains. Diluted EPS was $0.27; adjusted diluted EPS was $0.80. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 6.6%: Adjusted EBITDA rose to $410.6 million from $385.1 million in the prior-year quarter. Source

Segment results

  • Convenience EBITDA rose 34.1%: Convenience net sales rose 8.7% to $6.2 billion on new chain customers and an acquisition. Segment Adjusted EBITDA rose to $100.2 million. Source
  • Foodservice EBITDA rose 2.2%: Foodservice net sales rose 5.0% to $8.8 billion. Segment Adjusted EBITDA rose to $281.0 million as operating expenses grew 8.4%. Source
  • Specialty EBITDA fell 5.6%: Specialty net sales rose 5.3% to $1.2 billion on price and channel mix. Segment Adjusted EBITDA fell to $73.5 million as operating expenses rose 8.4%. Source

“I am pleased with how we have positioned our core business and the progress we are making on the integration of recent acquisitions, including Cheney Brothers.”

Scott McPherson, President & Chief Executive Officer

Products and customers

  • Independent case growth led volume: Independent case volume rose 7.3%, and organic independent case volume rose 6.5%, from new and expanded independent business. Source
  • Independent share of Foodservice sales: Independent sales were 41.5% of total Foodservice sales, down from 44.4% in the second quarter. Source
  • Convenience chain customers added cases: Organic Convenience cases sold rose 8.3% from new chain customers. A decline in cigarette case volume partly offset the revenue mix. Source
  • Specialty channels mixed: Specialty cases rose 1.1% on vending, campus, travel stores and concessions growth. Value stores and office supply channels declined. Source

Costs, margins and tax

  • Gross profit rose on procurement: Gross profit rose 6.4% to $1.9 billion, mainly from procurement efficiencies. Growth in the independent channel, which carries additional services, also added to it. Source
  • Operating expenses rose 8.6%: Operating expenses rose to $1.8 billion, driven by personnel costs, professional fees, depreciation on finance-leased equipment, insurance, and fuel. Source
  • Effective tax rate eased: The effective tax rate was about 25.4%, against 25.8% a year earlier. The company cited tax credits and lower state and foreign taxes as a share of income. Source

Nine-month results and acquisitions

  • Nine-month net sales rose 7.4%: Net sales rose 7.4% to $49.8 billion over nine months, with total case volume up 5.7% and acquisitions, including Cheney Brothers, among the drivers. Source
  • Nine-month Adjusted EBITDA rose 10.0%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 10.0% to $1,341.9 million for nine months. Convenience and Foodservice segment Adjusted EBITDA rose 19.4% and 7.5%. Source
  • Nine-month net income fell 5.6%: Net income fell $11.7 million to $197.0 million over nine months on higher operating expenses and interest expense. Diluted EPS was $1.26. Source
  • Acquisitions cited in gross profit: Nine-month gross profit growth was attributed to procurement efficiencies, a shift toward independent cases, and acquisitions including Cheney Brothers. Source
  • Activism and US Foods legal fees: Nine-month other adjustments include $20.2 million of legal and professional fees tied to shareholder activism and the US Foods clean team agreement. These are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA. Source

Cash flow and capital

  • Operating cash flow rose: Nine-month operating cash flow was $1,071.9 million, versus $827.1 million, helped by $51.0 million of income tax refunds and working capital changes. Source
  • Free cash flow rose to $806.0 million: Free cash flow was $806.0 million for nine months, against $494.4 million a year earlier, after capital expenditures. Source
  • Capital spending fell: Capital expenditures were $265.9 million for nine months, down $66.8 million from the prior year. Source
  • Buybacks totaled $1.2 million: Repurchases over the three and nine months totaled $1.2 million. $498.8 million remained available under the share repurchase program. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • Momentum into fiscal 2027: Management expects the momentum from the third quarter to continue through the fiscal year close and into fiscal 2027. Source
  • Accelerating growth in fiscal 2027: Management expects continued improvement and accelerating sales and profit growth in fiscal 2027. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total case volume growth, third quarter Source4.4%
Organic case volume growth, third quarter Source3.7%
Independent case volume growth, third quarter Source7.3%
Convenience cases sold growth, third quarter Source8.8%
Specialty cases sold growth, third quarter Source1.1%

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management reported overall product cost inflation of about 4.5% for the third quarter. Source
  • External: Fuel expense rose on higher fuel prices and more miles driven from new business. Source
  • Operational: Insurance expense rose on auto insurance and workers' compensation costs over the nine months. Source
  • Operational: Personnel expenses rose over the nine months on salaries, wages, benefits and commissions. Source
  • Demand: Specialty sales declined in value stores and office supply channels. Source

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.