Chefs' Warehouse (CHEF) shares surged 6.10% during intraday trading Wednesday, following the release of the company's better-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2026 financial results.

The specialty food distributor reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.40 for the quarter, significantly surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $0.25. This represents a 60% increase from the $0.25 per share reported in the same period a year earlier. Net sales also exceeded expectations, coming in at $1.06 billion compared to the estimated $1.01 billion, marking an 11.4% year-over-year increase.

The company's net income jumped 68.7% to $17.4 million, while adjusted EBITDA climbed to $60.1 million from $47.5 million a year ago. Chefs' Warehouse maintained its full-year 2026 net sales guidance of $4.35 billion to $4.45 billion, which aligns with analyst expectations of approximately $4.41 billion. The strong quarterly performance, driven by higher sales volumes, price inflation, and acquisitions, has bolstered investor confidence in the company's growth trajectory.