By Amira McKee
Shares of UTZ Brands tumbled after the snacks company swung to a loss in its fourth quarter, and guided for 2026 adjusted earnings that missed Wall Street's expectations.
The stock fell 19%, to $9.02, Thursday afternoon, touching a new 52-week low. The shares have retreated 34% in the past year.
Utz guided for adjusted earnings per share to decline by 3% to 6% for 2026. The Hanover, Pa., company said it expects adjusted earnings to be affected by around $13 million of higher distribution and administrative expenses, higher interest and an increased tax rate.
Analysts polled by FactSet forecast full-year adjusted earnings per share of 87 cents in 2026, representing an increase of 8.5% from 2025.
Utz reported a fourth-quarter loss of $2.5 million, or 3 cents a share, compared with a profit of $2.3 million, or 3 cents a share, a year earlier.
Adjusted earnings came in at 26 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet were looking for 25 cents a share.
Sales grew slightly to $342.2 million, just below Wall Street's forecast of $343.4 million, according to FactSet.
Write to Amira McKee at amira.mckee@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 12, 2026 14:51 ET (19:51 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.