Flowers Foods Inc
Q1 2026 Earnings
Market Reaction
S&P 500 over the same 30 days: −1.52%.
Did FLO Beat Earnings? Q1 2026 Results
Flowers Foods delivered a mixed first quarter for fiscal 2026, posting adjusted diluted EPS of $0.29 against a consensus estimate of $0.27, a beat of 8.17%, even as revenue of $1.57 billion edged just below the $1.58 billion estimate by 0.43%. Net sales still grew 1.1% year over year, helped by favorable pricing and mix gains of 2.1% and the contribution of the recently acquired Simple Mills brand, though a 3.3% volume decline across the business tempered that progress. The headline profitability story was more sobering, with GAAP net income falling 20.6% to $42.05 million as higher production costs, a jump in interest expense to $19.63 million tied to Simple Mills acquisition debt, and $14.40 million in legal settlements weighed on results. The stock has already reflected much of this pressure, having touched a 52-week low of $7.00 amid a broader year-long slide. Management reaffirmed full-year fiscal 2026 guidance, projecting net sales of $5.16 billion to $5.27 billion and adjusted diluted EPS of $0.80 to $0.90, while acknowledging a persistently challenging consumer environment.
- Simple Mills acquisition contributed 2.3% to total net sales growth
- Pricing/mix increased 2.1% overall, with Branded Retail pricing/mix up 4.0%
- Volume declined 3.3% overall due to challenging consumer environment
- Higher interest expense from debt issued to fund Simple Mills acquisition
- Legal settlements and related costs of $14.4 million impacted results
- Prior year included $7.4 million in plant closure costs not repeated
- Moderating ingredient costs partially offset production cost increases
“Flowers' first quarter reflects our team's disciplined cost management, helping us deliver financial performance in-line with expectations despite softer top-line results driven by ongoing challenging macroeconomic conditions impacting the category. At the same time, we've made meaningful progress in strengthening our long-term position by evolving our product portfolio to better meet consumers' needs, including the relaunch of Nature's Own, now with simple ingredients and Non-GMO Project Verified certification – a mainstream category first. While we continue to approach the balance of the year with appropriate caution given the ongoing challenging external environment, we remain confident in the strength of our brands, robust supply chain and delivery network, growing presence in the better-for-you categories, and improving balance sheet. These factors give us confidence we are well positioned to navigate headwinds and drive long-term shareholder value.”
Flowers Foods CEO, on the earnings call
Forward Guidance & Outlook
Flowers Foods reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 guidance: net sales of approximately $5.163 billion to $5.267 billion (representing -1.8% to 0.2% change vs. prior year), adjusted EBITDA of approximately $465 million to $495 million, and adjusted diluted EPS of approximately $0.80 to $0.90. Assumptions include D&A of $165-$170 million, net interest expense of $65-$70 million, effective tax rate of approximately 26%, weighted average diluted shares of approximately 213.5 million, and capital expenditures of $115-$125 million. Management expressed caution given the ongoing challenging external environment but confidence in the company's brand strength, supply chain, and better-for-you positioning.
FLO YoY Financials
FLO Revenue by Segment
Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.