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Utz Brands, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 12 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales edged up 0.4%: Net sales rose 0.4% to $342.2 million; organic net sales also rose 0.4%, with net price realization of 0.5% partly offset by volume/mix of (0.1)%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 17.5%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 17.5% to $62.4 million, or 18.2% of net sales, compared with $53.1 million, or 15.6% of net sales, a year earlier. Source
  • Branded Salty Snacks grew 2.5%: Branded Salty Snacks, 89% of total organic net sales, rose 2.5%, led by the Power Four Brands. Source
  • Non-branded sales fell 14.8%: Non-Branded & Non-Salty Snacks organic net sales fell 14.8%, with volume/mix down 15.1%; management attributed the decline mainly to Partner Brands and Dips & Salsas. Source
  • Power Four Brands retail up 5.3%: Power Four Brands retail sales rose 5.3% in the 13-week period ended December 28, 2025. Source
  • Adjusted gross margin up 560bps: Adjusted gross profit margin reached 36.5%, up 560bps from 30.9%, with productivity savings more than offsetting capacity and supply chain cost increases. Source
  • SG&A rose on capability build-out: Adjusted SG&A rose to 18.2% of net sales from 15.4%, reflecting added capabilities and selling costs for geographic expansion and growth initiatives. Source
  • Leverage at 3.4x at year-end: Net debt was $741.8 million at December 28, 2025, a net leverage ratio of 3.4x on trailing adjusted EBITDA of $216.5 million. Source

“2025 was a year of solid progress in a dynamic operating environment.”

Howard Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Utz

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Organic Net Sales growth Sourcefiscal 2026, excluding 53rd week2% to 3%
Adjusted EBITDA growth Sourcefiscal 2026, including 53rd week5% to 8%
Productivity savings Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 4% of Adjusted COGS
Adjusted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026decline of 3% to 6%
Higher depreciation and amortization, interest and tax impact on Adjusted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $13 million higher D&A; about 12 cents combined
Adjusted Free Cash Flow Sourcefiscal 2026$60 to $80 millionNew
Effective tax rate Sourcefiscal 202617-19%
Interest expense Sourcefiscal 2026$47 to $49 million
Depreciation and amortization Sourcefiscal 2026$93 to $97 million
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2026$60 to $65 million
Net Leverage Ratio Sourcefiscal year-end 20263.0x - 3.2x
53rd week benefit to Reported Net Sales Sourcefourth quarter of 2026approximately $20 million
53rd week benefit to Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefourth quarter of 2026approximately $3 million
53rd week benefit to Adjusted EPS Sourcefourth quarter of 20262 cents
Share repurchase program Sourceinaugural program approved February 10, 2026up to $50 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Adjusted Free Cash Flow guidance introduced for fiscal 2026, at $60 million to $80 million. Source
  • New: Board approved the company's first share repurchase program, up to $50 million of Class A common stock. Source
  • New: From Q4 2025, logistics, DSD distribution and outbound shipping costs moved from Selling to Cost of Goods Sold, applied retrospectively to all periods presented.
  • New: Fiscal 2026 includes a 53rd week, which falls in the fourth quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net sales edged up 0.4%: Net sales rose 0.4% to $342.2 million; organic net sales also rose 0.4%, with net price realization of 0.5% partly offset by volume/mix of (0.1)%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 17.5%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 17.5% to $62.4 million, or 18.2% of net sales, compared with $53.1 million, or 15.6% of net sales, a year earlier. Source
  • Reported net loss against prior profit: Reported net loss was $(3.3) million against net income of $2.1 million a year earlier; reported EBITDA fell 38.4% to $25.0 million. The prior year included a $15.5 million warrant remeasurement gain. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 18.2%: Adjusted EPS rose 18.2% to $0.26 from $0.22, on higher adjusted net income and a lower tax rate, partly offset by higher depreciation, amortization and interest expense. Source
  • Full-year sales and profit figures: Fiscal 2025 net sales rose 2.1% to $1,438.8 million, with gross profit of $358.3 million against $369.1 million the year before; full-year adjusted EBITDA rose 8.1% to $216.5 million. Source

Segments and geographies

  • Branded Salty Snacks grew 2.5%: Branded Salty Snacks, 89% of total organic net sales, rose 2.5%, led by the Power Four Brands. Source
  • Non-branded sales fell 14.8%: Non-Branded & Non-Salty Snacks organic net sales fell 14.8%, with volume/mix down 15.1%; management attributed the decline mainly to Partner Brands and Dips & Salsas. Source
  • Expansion geographies gained retail share: Retail sales share gains came in expansion geographies, while Power Four Brands gained share in core geographies, the company said. Source

“Looking ahead to 2026, we expect that our business drivers will continue to be highly effective”

Howard Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Utz

Brands and retail share

  • Power Four Brands retail up 5.3%: Power Four Brands retail sales rose 5.3% in the 13-week period ended December 28, 2025. Source
  • Branded retail outpaced the category: Branded Salty Snacks retail sales rose 3.5% over the 13 weeks, against 1.1% for the Salty Snack category overall, per Circana data. Source
  • Retail volumes up 0.5%: Company retail volumes rose 0.5%, against 0.3% for the Salty Snack category. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Adjusted gross margin up 560bps: Adjusted gross profit margin reached 36.5%, up 560bps from 30.9%, with productivity savings more than offsetting capacity and supply chain cost increases. Source
  • Reported gross margin up 50bps: Reported gross profit margin was 26.0%, up 50bps from 25.5%; reported gross profit was $89.1 million against $87.1 million. Source
  • SG&A rose on capability build-out: Adjusted SG&A rose to 18.2% of net sales from 15.4%, reflecting added capabilities and selling costs for geographic expansion and growth initiatives. Source
  • Full-year margin trends diverged: Full-year adjusted gross profit margin was 32.3% against 29.7%, while reported gross profit margin fell to 24.9% from 26.2%. Source

“Our initiatives to improve free cash flow and balance sheet leverage are starting to deliver, with leverage improving to 3.4x at year-end”

BK Kelley, EVP and Chief Financial Officer of Utz

Capital, cash and balance sheet

  • Leverage at 3.4x at year-end: Net debt was $741.8 million at December 28, 2025, a net leverage ratio of 3.4x on trailing adjusted EBITDA of $216.5 million. Source
  • Liquidity of $240.1 million: Total liquidity was $240.1 million: $120.4 million of cash plus $119.7 million available under the revolving credit facility. Source
  • Operating cash flow of $112.2 million: Fiscal 2025 cash flow from operations was $112.2 million and capital expenditures were $102.8 million; dividends and distributions paid totaled $37.7 million. Source
  • Warrants exercised for Class A shares: All warrants were exercised in August 2025 through a cashless exchange, issuing 1,307,873 Class A shares; the warrant liability was extinguished. Source

Transformation spend and asset sales

  • Transformation costs rose sharply: Business transformation adjustments were $30.8 million in the quarter against $9.7 million, and $65.4 million for fiscal 2025 against $28.1 million. Source
  • Acquisition and integration costs: Acquisitions, divestitures and investments adjustments were $22.8 million for fiscal 2025; the prior year included a $44.0 million gain on the Good Health and R.W. Garcia sale. Source
  • Asset sale gain in quarter: Gain on sale of assets was $9.9 million in the quarter against a $0.5 million loss; income from operations was $4.1 million against $7.2 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 12 February 2026

  • Analyst question session today: Live question and answer session with analysts held at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on the release date. Source
  • 53rd week in fourth quarter 2026: Fiscal 2026 will benefit from a 53rd week in the fourth quarter. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Company retail volumes Source+0.5% vs +0.3% for the Salty Snack category

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Supply chain cost inflation and capacity-related investment were cited as cost pressures that productivity savings more than offset in the quarter. Source
  • Financial: Management said the variability of excluded items could have a significant impact on future financial results. Source
  • Demand: Non-branded and non-salty snacks sales fell, with management citing Partner Brands and Dips & Salsas. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said the Adjusted Free Cash Flow guidance demonstrates a commitment to substantially improve the metric and continue reducing leverage. Source
  • Not stated: Management described a prioritized commitment to improving the balance sheet before returning capital through dividends and share repurchases over time. 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.