The Marzetti Company (Nasdaq: MZTI) reported fiscal Q4 2026 net sales of $465.0 million, down 2.2% year over year, while diluted EPS rose to $1.76 from $1.18. For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, adjusted net sales increased 0.4% after excluding prior-year temporary supply agreement revenue, and adjusted diluted EPS grew 9.0% to $1.46. Cost savings lifted gross margin, while the Bachan’s acquisition, acquisition expenses, and an $18.5 million property-sale gain materially shaped the quarter.
Core Earnings Results
The reported sales decline largely reflected a difficult comparison with $12.2 million of non-core temporary supply agreement sales in the prior-year quarter. Those sales ended during the March 2026 quarter and did not contribute meaningfully to gross profit. Bachan’s, acquired on May 1, added $15.4 million of sales, equivalent to approximately 320 basis points of consolidated growth.
Gross profit reached a fourth-quarter record as cost-saving programs reduced cost pressure. However, GAAP operating income and net income also benefited from the Milpitas property sale, while acquisition-related costs and amortization increased SG&A expenses.
| Metric | Fiscal Q4 2026 | Fiscal Q4 2025 | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | $465.0 million | $475.4 million | -2.2% |
| Adjusted net sales | $465.0 million | $463.3 million | +0.4% |
| Gross profit | $114.0 million | $106.1 million | Approx. +7.4% |
| Gross margin | 24.5% | 22.3% | +220 basis points |
| SG&A expenses | $74.3 million | $62.1 million | Approx. +19.8% |
| Operating income | $57.7 million | $38.9 million | Approx. +48.2% |
| Net income | $48.3 million | $32.5 million | Approx. +48.5% |
| Diluted EPS | $1.76 | $1.18 | Approx. +49.2% |
| Adjusted diluted EPS | $1.46 | $1.34 | +9.0% |
Adjusted net sales exclude non-core temporary supply agreement revenue. Adjusted diluted EPS removes acquisition-related expenses, Bachan’s intangible-asset amortization, and restructuring and other items under the company’s definition.
Business and Segment Performance
Retail sales edged higher because Bachan’s offset pressure in several legacy product and channel comparisons. Foodservice sales declined on a reported basis but were nearly unchanged after removing the prior-year temporary supply agreement revenue.
| Segment Metric | Fiscal Q4 2026 | Fiscal Q4 2025 | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail net sales | $243.6 million | $241.6 million | +0.9% |
| Retail operating income | $43.2 million | $40.9 million | Approx. +5.5% |
| Foodservice net sales | $221.4 million | $233.9 million | -5.3% |
| Adjusted Foodservice net sales | $221.4 million | $221.7 million | -0.1% |
| Foodservice operating income | $32.4 million | $28.8 million | Approx. +12.4% |
Bachan’s contributed 640 basis points to Retail sales growth and 520 basis points to Retail volume growth. Even with that contribution, total Retail volume declined 1.7%. Management attributed pressure to the comparison with the prior-year Chick-fil-A sauce pipeline fill, lower Sister Schubert’s dinner roll sales in the club channel, and the prior-year rollout of Texas Roadhouse rolls into traditional grocery stores.
Company-supplied Circana data showed Bachan’s retail sales rising 8.7% and distribution points increasing 16.6% during the quarter. Texas Roadhouse roll sales increased 28.1% for the quarter and 76.3% for the fiscal year.
Foodservice volume fell 4.1% on a reported basis. Excluding temporary supply agreement activity, core volume increased 0.1%, as growth from leading national restaurant chains was offset by lower sales to other chains and weaker branded Foodservice sales.
Cost Savings Improved the Margin, but a Property Gain Drove GAAP Profit Growth
Cost-saving programs increased reported gross margin by 220 basis points to 24.5%. On an adjusted basis, which removes temporary supply agreement sales from the comparison, gross margin improved by approximately 160 basis points from 22.9% to 24.5%. This underlying margin improvement helped adjusted diluted EPS rise 9.0% despite limited adjusted sales growth.
The much larger increase in GAAP EPS was primarily tied to non-recurring items. Restructuring, impairment, and other items—mostly the $18.5 million gain from selling the former Milpitas facility—added $18.1 million to net income, or $0.66 per diluted share. Acquisition-related SG&A costs reduced net income by $8.5 million, or $0.31 per share, while Bachan’s intangible-asset amortization reduced it by another $1.2 million, or $0.05 per share.
SG&A expenses rose by $12.3 million, including a $10.5 million increase in acquisition-related costs and $1.6 million of incremental noncash amortization. Excluding those items, SG&A was nearly flat because Bachan’s core operating expenses were offset by cost reductions elsewhere.
Cash Flow and Balance Sheet
Fiscal 2026 operating cash flow increased by $22.3 million to a record $283.8 million. During the full fiscal year, Marzetti paid $108.8 million in dividends and repurchased $36.3 million of common stock.
At June 30, cash and equivalents stood at $25.1 million, down from $161.5 million a year earlier, while inventories increased to $205.1 million from $169.3 million. Current and long-term debt totaled approximately $199.3 million, compared with no debt at the prior fiscal year-end. The company used a $200 million term loan to finance part of the Bachan’s purchase price, resulting in quarterly interest expense of $1.8 million versus none a year earlier.
Management View
Management expects fiscal 2027 Retail sales to benefit from additional Bachan’s revenue and planned product launches across legacy and licensed brands. Foodservice sales are expected to receive support from selected quick-service restaurant customers within the national accounts portfolio.
The company anticipates moderate input-cost inflation and plans to use pricing and cost-saving measures to support further margin improvement. Management is also monitoring U.S. economic conditions, consumer behavior, and the effect of the Cyclospora outbreak on product demand and sales.
Recent Insider Transactions
During the latest six-month period covered by the supplied insider data, insiders purchased 900 shares in one transaction and sold 1,221 shares in one transaction. The resulting net sale of 321 shares was small relative to the reported 8 million shares held by insiders.
| Date | Insider | Role | Transaction | Shares | Price per Share | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 11, 2026 | Luis Viso | Officer | Sale | 1,221 | $109.31 | $133,468 |
| June 10, 2026 | Thomas K. Pigott | Chief Financial Officer | Purchase | 900 | $109.01 | $98,109 |
These transactions are presented as reported and do not by themselves establish insiders’ views about the company’s prospects.
Risks Investors Should Watch
- Dependence on acquired growth: Bachan’s contributed $15.4 million to the quarter, while total Retail volume declined 1.7% and several legacy products faced difficult channel comparisons.
- Foodservice demand pressure: Adjusted Foodservice sales were nearly flat, with national account gains offset by weaker sales to other chains and branded Foodservice customers.
- Acquisition costs and leverage: Bachan’s increased acquisition expenses, amortization, debt, and interest costs. Future results will depend partly on successful integration and operating performance.
- Inflation and pricing sensitivity: Management expects moderate input-cost inflation and plans to offset it through pricing and cost savings, making customer and consumer responses important.
- Earnings comparability: The Milpitas property gain materially increased GAAP income, so adjusted results provide a different view of the quarter’s underlying profit growth.
Summary
Marzetti’s fiscal fourth quarter combined a lower reported top line with better underlying profitability. Cost savings expanded gross margin, Bachan’s supported Retail sales, and core Foodservice revenue was nearly flat, while the property-sale gain drove much of the GAAP earnings increase. Fiscal 2027 execution will center on integrating Bachan’s, sustaining cost savings, managing new debt and inflation, and improving demand across legacy Retail and Foodservice products.
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