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Utz Brands, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales rose 1.4%: Net sales reached $371.8 million, up 1.4%, with organic net sales up the same amount in the quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.4%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.4% to $55.7 million, a 15.0% share of net sales. Adjusted gross margin expansion more than offset higher adjusted SG&A. Source
  • Branded Salty Snacks grew 3.3%: Branded Salty Snacks organic net sales rose 3.3%, led by the Power Four Brands, and made up 89% of total net sales. Branded retail sales rose 0.3% against 0.8% for the category. Source
  • Price offset lower volume: Net price realization added 3.6%, partly offset by volume/mix of (2.2)%. Excluding the Bonus Packs effect, price rose 3.0% and volume/mix fell 1.6%. Source
  • Adjusted gross margin up 150bps: Adjusted gross profit margin expanded 150bps to 33.2%, while reported gross margin declined 10bps to 25.9%. Productivity savings drove the adjusted gain. Source
  • Net leverage down to 3.5x: Net leverage fell 0.6x to 3.5x on trailing twelve-month adjusted EBITDA of $226.3 million, with net debt of $791.0 million. Source
  • Cash price of $14.25 per share: Intersnack subsidiaries agreed to acquire all Class A common stock for $14.25 per share in cash, under the July 20, 2026 definitive agreement. Source

“We delivered another quarter of solid growth in net sales and Adjusted EBITDA, led by 3.3% Branded Salty Snacks growth,”

Howard Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Utz

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance withdrawn: The company will not update its 2026 forward-looking guidance because of the pending take-private transaction. Source
  • New: Agreement with Intersnack Group, dated July 20, 2026, to take Utz private at $14.25 per share in cash. Source
  • Ended: No investor call on the second-quarter results, whereas the first-quarter release had a live analyst question and answer session. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net sales rose 1.4%: Net sales reached $371.8 million, up 1.4%, with organic net sales up the same amount in the quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.4%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.4% to $55.7 million, a 15.0% share of net sales. Adjusted gross margin expansion more than offset higher adjusted SG&A. Source
  • Net loss against prior-year profit: The company reported a net loss of $16.0 million, against net income of $10.1 million a year earlier, when a $12.5 million warrant remeasurement gain helped. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 11.8%: Adjusted diluted EPS rose 11.8% to $0.19, driven by adjusted net income of $27.1 million, up 14.8%. GAAP diluted EPS was $(0.11). Source

Branded and non-branded sales

  • Branded Salty Snacks grew 3.3%: Branded Salty Snacks organic net sales rose 3.3%, led by the Power Four Brands, and made up 89% of total net sales. Branded retail sales rose 0.3% against 0.8% for the category. Source
  • Non-branded sales fell 12.1%: Non-Branded & Non-Salty Snacks organic net sales fell 12.1% to $39.3 million, mainly in Non-Branded, where low-margin items were removed faster. Source
  • Power Four Brands retail up 2.0%: Power Four Brands retail sales rose 2.0%, covering Utz, On The Border, Zapp’s and Boulder Canyon. Source
  • Expansion geographies drove gains: The company said it drove retail sales gains in its Expansion Geographies. Source

“I was pleased with our execution in the quarter and the business performance through the first half, including the continued year-over-year improvement in adjusted free cash flow and net leverage.”

Howard Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Utz

Pricing, volume and retail demand

  • Price offset lower volume: Net price realization added 3.6%, partly offset by volume/mix of (2.2)%. Excluding the Bonus Packs effect, price rose 3.0% and volume/mix fell 1.6%. Source
  • Retail volumes fell 4.6%: Company retail volumes fell 4.6% after lapping Bonus Packs, while Salty Snack category volumes rose 1.1%. Source
  • Bonus Packs promotion was neutral: The prior-year Bonus Packs promotion was net neutral, with a 0.6 point impact on both volume/mix and price. Source

Costs and margins

  • Adjusted gross margin up 150bps: Adjusted gross profit margin expanded 150bps to 33.2%, while reported gross margin declined 10bps to 25.9%. Productivity savings drove the adjusted gain. Source
  • SG&A rose on marketing: Reported SG&A reached 27.2% of net sales from 24.0%. Adjusted SG&A was 18.3% of net sales, down 10bps on leverage, partly offset by increased marketing. Source
  • Supply chain adjustments were $10.4m: Supply chain transformation adjustments were $10.4 million in the quarter, against $10.6 million a year earlier. Source

Cash flow, leverage and liquidity

  • Adjusted free cash flow negative: Year-to-date adjusted free cash flow was $(26.6) million, against $(68.8) million a year earlier, with capital expenditures of $27.4 million. Source
  • Net leverage down to 3.5x: Net leverage fell 0.6x to 3.5x on trailing twelve-month adjusted EBITDA of $226.3 million, with net debt of $791.0 million. Source
  • Liquidity of $212.7 million: Total liquidity was $212.7 million, with $58.6 million of cash on hand and $154.1 million available on the revolver. Source
  • Year-to-date operating cash used: Year-to-date cash flow used in operations was $0.5 million, against $3.9 million a year earlier. Source

Take-private agreement with Intersnack

  • Cash price of $14.25 per share: Intersnack subsidiaries agreed to acquire all Class A common stock for $14.25 per share in cash, under the July 20, 2026 definitive agreement. Source
  • Post-closing ownership split: After closing, Utz becomes a private company, with the Rice and Lissette Family and Intersnack Group each owning 50%. Source
  • Transaction costs in corporate adjustments: Corporate transformation adjustments were $19.4 million in the quarter, and they include costs of the announced Intersnack transaction. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • Transaction closing expected Q4: The company expects the take-private transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Company Retail Volumes Source-4.6%
Salty Snack category retail volumes Source+1.1%
Branded Salty Snacks Retail Sales Source+0.3%
Salty Snack category retail sales Source+0.8%
Power Four Brands Retail Sales Source+2.0%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Volume/mix fell 2.2% and company retail volumes fell 4.6%, with the prior-year Bonus Packs promotion lapping. Source
  • Operational: Supply chain cost inflation was present in the quarter and was more than offset by productivity savings in adjusted gross margin. 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.