Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Beloved bread brand rolls out digital cookbook featuring creative sandwich recipes from children with critical illnesses

, /PRNewswire/ -- Nature's Own®, the nation's No. 1 selling loaf bread brand, is launching its new "Sandwishes" campaign through its "Slice of Hope" partnership with Make-A-Wish, turning wishes into recipes to support children with critical illnesses. The initiative is an extension of the $500,000 Make-A-Wish sponsorship Nature's Own announced in 2025. Sandwishes is a multi-platform campaign featuring a digital cookbook filled with wish kids' favorite sandwich recipes, like Olivia's Bright Harvest Bacon Bite on Nature's Own Honey Wheat. Shoppers can explore recipes, recreate them at home and support Make-A-Wish with a click through a donation button on each recipe page.

Nature's Own ‘Sandwishes’ campaign brings kids’ culinary wishes to life to benefit Make-A-Wish America. "Nature's Own is bringing wish kids' imaginations to life with 'Sandwishes' that anyone can share, recreate and enjoy," said Krystle Farlow, senior director of brand management for Nature's Own. "These recipes are not only a window into Make-A-Wish kids' imaginations, but a perfect way for parents to better understand what their kids will enjoy as well."

The integrated Sandwishes campaign is supported by a multi-platform push highlighting the wish kids' "sandwish" creations across social channels and at point of purchase to capture consumer attention online and in the aisle.

"We're grateful to Nature's Own for helping bring our wish kids' creativity to life in such a joyful, accessible way," said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. "Through the Sandwishes campaign, families can connect with the imagination behind each wish while helping Make-A-Wish deliver hope and joy to children with critical illnesses. Partnerships like this make it possible for us to reach more children and families with the life-changing power of a wish."

The brand launched the Slice of Hope Make-A-Wish sponsorship last year, introducing in-store displays with a virtual "Well Wish Wall" where shoppers can submit their well wishes for wish kids to see. The Sandwishes campaign is the next iteration of this ongoing purpose-driven partnership.

Nature's Own recently introduced a new, simpler recipe across its entire product portfolio, and refreshed its brand look to reflect its commitment to "Real. Soft. Bread." To spread the word, the brand tapped actor and WWE superstar John Cena as the official "Breaducator." Cena is the largest wish granter in the history of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He holds the official Guinness World Record for granting over 650 wishes and is the most requested celebrity in the organization's history.

For more information about the Sandwishes campaign, visit naturesownbread.com/wish.

About Nature's Own
Upholding a commitment to quality, Nature's Own Bread emphasizes freshness and irresistibly soft texture, maintaining standards that were first introduced in 1977 by Flowers Foods (NYSE: FLO), one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States. Today, Nature's Own is America's number one selling loaf bread brand - known for providing a variety of products with no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors and no high fructose corn syrup. The brand offers a delicious selection of fresh, soft variety breads, buns, rolls and more. Learn more at naturesownbread.com.

About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world's leading children's wish-granting organization, operating in every community in the United States and in nearly 50 countries worldwide. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 30,000 volunteers across the U.S., Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 500,000 wishes worldwide; more than 340,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

Media Contact
Jacob Teetzmann, APR
[email protected] 
423.494.3673

SOURCE Nature's Own

Key Takeaways FLO's snack platform emerged as a notable Q1 growth area beyond traditional bakery categories. Simple Mills retail sales rose 9%, led by 43% cookie growth and stronger food and mass distribution. Dave's Killer Bread snack bars grew year over year, helped by protein and functional-food demand. Flowers Foods, Inc. (FLO - Free Report) is working to broaden its growth profile beyond traditional bakery categories, and snacks emerged as a notable bright spot in the first quarter of 2026. The business continued to benefit from rising demand for better-for-you and functional food offerings, with momentum driven by both Simple Mills and Dave’s Killer Bread.

Simple Mills remained a key growth contributor during the quarter. Retail sales grew 9%, supported by broad-based strength across the portfolio. The brand’s cookies business grew 43%, while crackers advanced 3%, with both categories outperforming their respective categories. Distribution expansion and improved product velocity across food and mass channels helped fuel the gains.

Product innovation also added to the momentum. Recent launches performed at or above expectations, providing further support for the brand’s growth trajectory. The strong reception highlights the appeal of the Simple Mills portfolio as consumers increasingly seek products with better-for-you attributes.

Dave’s Killer Bread added to the positive trend. Its organic snack bars delivered year-over-year growth in both units and dollar sales while maintaining market share in the nutritional snack bar subcategory. The brand’s Amped-Up Protein Bars also continued to resonate with consumers looking for higher-protein options and functional benefits.

The first quarter reinforced snacks as one of FLO’s more dynamic growth areas. Strong performances from Simple Mills and Dave’s Killer Bread, supported by innovation, distribution gains and favorable consumer demand trends, indicate that the snack platform is becoming an increasingly important part of Flowers Foods’ portfolio mix.

FLO Stock Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Flowers Foods have tumbled 12.4% over the past three months compared with the industry’s decline of 0.4%. FLO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). 

FLO Price Performance Versus Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, FLO trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 8.48, lower than the industry’s average of 14.12.

FLO Valuation Compared to Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FLO’s current fiscal-year earnings per share suggests a 22.7% year-over-year decline, while the consensus mark for the next fiscal-year EPS indicates 4.6% growth.

Better-Ranked Stocks to ConsiderThe Chef's Warehouse, Inc. (CHEF - Free Report) , a specialty food distributor serving restaurants, hotels and hospitality customers, sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Chef's Warehouse’s current financial-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 8.3% and 24.7%, respectively, from the prior-year reported levels. CHEF delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 28.9%, on average.

Vita Coco Company (COCO - Free Report) is a leading beverage company best known for its Vita Coco brand, with a portfolio that also includes hydration, energy and protein-based beverages. COCO sports a Zacks Rank #1.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Vita Coco’s current financial-year sales and earnings calls for year-over-year growth of 21.4% and 47.9%, respectively. COCO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.7%, on average.

The Coca-Cola Company (KO - Free Report) , a global beverage giant, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). KO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 4.5%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Coca-Cola’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings suggests a year-over-year increase of almost 3% and 8.7%, respectively.

Resources Investor Relations Journalists Agencies Client Login Send a Release News Products Contact , /PRNewswire/ -- Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) will report its first quarter 2026 financial results on Thursday, May 21, 2026, after the market close. The company will host a live question and answer webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time the next day. Access to the webcast, press release, pre-recorded remarks by management with accompanying transcript, and supporting slide presentation will be available and archived at investors.flowersfoods.com.

About Flowers Foods

Headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States with 2025 net sales of $5.3 billion. Flowers operates bakeries across the country that produce a wide range of bakery products. Among the company's top brands are Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Canyon Bakehouse, Simple Mills, Wonder, and Tastykake. Learn more at www.flowersfoods.com.

FLO-IR

SOURCE Flowers Foods, Inc.

Also from this source

Key Takeaways FLO's Q1 revenues are expected to rise 0.5% year over year to nearly $1.56 billion.Flowers Foods gains from strength in Dave's Killer Bread, Nature's Own and Simple Mills sales.FLO faces margin pressure from inflation, weak bread demand and cautious consumer spending. Flowers Foods, Inc. (FLO - Free Report) is likely to witness top-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on May 21, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at around $1.56 billion, indicating a 0.5% increase from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

The consensus mark for earnings has remained unchanged in the past 30 days at 28 cents per share, implying a decline of 20% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. FLO has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.3%, on average.

Factors Likely to Influence FLO’s Upcoming ResultsFlowers Foods’ first-quarter fiscal 2026 performance is likely to have benefited from continued strength across its branded portfolio and contributions from the Simple Mills acquisition. On its last earnings call, management highlighted sustained momentum in brands such as Dave’s Killer Bread, Nature’s Own and Wonder, particularly in faster-growing segments like specialty premium loaf, breakfast and buns and rolls.

Innovation in better-for-you offerings, expanded distribution gains and favorable consumer response to newer products are expected to have supported branded retail sales trends during the quarter. Our model suggests branded retail sales growth of 1% year over year in the fiscal first quarter.

The company is also likely to have gained from continued growth in Simple Mills and pricing actions implemented late in the fiscal fourth quarter. Management noted that Simple Mills continued to outperform its categories, supported by expanded distribution, innovation and positive velocity trends. In addition, pricing increases taken across branded retail products to offset inflationary pressures are expected to have aided revenue growth in the fiscal first quarter.

However, Flowers Foods is expected to continue facing headwinds from weakness in the traditional packaged bread category and elevated cost pressures. Management noted that traditional loaf trends remained challenging, while cautious consumer spending and value-seeking behavior continued to pressure volumes. At the same time, inflationary pressures related to labor, logistics and commodity inputs, along with higher marketing and innovation investments, are likely to have weighed on margins and earnings performance in the quarter. We expect the adjusted operating margin to contract 90 basis points to 6.4% in the quarter under review.

Earnings Whispers for FLOOur proven model doesn’t conclusively predict an earnings beat for Flowers Foods this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.

Flowers Foods carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.

Casey's General Stores (CASY - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.02% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Casey's upcoming quarter’s EPS is pegged at $3.44, which implies 30.8% growth year over year. The consensus estimate for the quarterly revenues is pinned at $4.33 billion, which indicates 8.4% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. CASY delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 20%, on average.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.82% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its upcoming quarter’s revenues is pegged at $69.36 billion, indicating a 9.7% rise from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The consensus estimate for Costco’s earnings is pegged at $4.91 per share, implying 14.7% growth from the year-ago quarter. COST delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.1%, on average.

Target Corporation (TGT - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +4.19% and a Zacks Rank #3. The consensus estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $24.37 billion, which indicates an increase of 2.2% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Target’s upcoming quarter’s earnings per share is pegged at $1.35, implying 3.9% year-over-year growth. TGT delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of negative 2%, on average.

, /PRNewswire/ -- Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) today reported financial results for the company's 16-week first quarter ended April 25, 2026.

First Quarter Summary:
Compared to the prior year first quarter where applicable

Net sales(1) increased 1.1% to $1.572 billion as the Simple Mills acquisition and pricing/mix more than offset volume declines. Net income decreased 20.6% to $42.1 million, representing 2.7% of sales, a 70-basis point decrease, primarily due to a challenging consumer environment and higher interest expense, partly offset by the prior year plant closure costs and moderating ingredient costs. Adjusted net income(2) decreased 17.4% to $60.9 million. Adjusted EBITDA(2) decreased 1.8% to $159.0 million, representing 10.1% of net sales, a 30-basis point decrease. Diluted EPS decreased $0.05 to $0.20. Adjusted diluted EPS(2) decreased $0.06 to $0.29. Quarterly Cash Dividend Declared
The company today announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.1250 per share, representing the 95th consecutive quarterly dividend paid by the company and is payable on June 26, 2026, to shareholders of record on June 12, 2026.

Chairman and CEO Remarks:
"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," said Ryals McMullian, chairman and CEO of Flowers Foods. "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."

"The comprehensive review of our brand portfolio, supply chain, and financial strategy announced last quarter is well underway and helping to further clarify how we allocate resources to strengthen our position and support the growth of our strongest brands," McMullian added. "As part of this effort, we reset our quarterly dividend to $0.125 per share, or $0.50 per share on an annualized basis, allowing us to prioritize meaningful debt reduction while continuing to invest behind the brands, innovation, and capabilities that we believe will drive sustainable above-category growth over time. As we move forward and execute our strategy, we expect dividends to remain an important component of our overall shareholder value proposition. With respect to our 2026 outlook, we are reaffirming guidance and our team remains focused on disciplined execution, managing the areas of the business we can directly influence and delivering against our strategic and financial objectives for the year."

For the 52-week Fiscal 2026, the Company Expects:

Net sales of approximately $5.163 billion to $5.267 billion, representing a -1.8% to 0.2% change compared to the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA(3) in the range of approximately $465 million to $495 million. Adjusted diluted EPS(2) of approximately $0.80 to $0.90. The company's outlook is based on the following assumptions:

Depreciation and amortization of approximately $165 million to $170 million. Net interest expense of approximately $65 million to $70 million. An effective tax rate of approximately 26%. Weighted average diluted share count for the year of approximately 213.5 million shares. Capital expenditures of approximately $115 million to $125 million. Matters Affecting Comparability:

Reconciliation of Earnings per Share to Adjusted Earnings per Share

For the 16-Week
Period Ended

For the 16-Week
Period Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Net income per diluted common share

$

0.20

$

0.25

Business process improvement costs

NM

NM

Plant closure costs and impairment of assets

—

0.03

Restructuring charges

0.01

NM

Restructuring-related implementation costs

0.03

0.02

Acquisition and integration-related costs

NM

(a)

0.05

Legal settlements and related costs

0.05

NM

Adjusted net income per diluted common share

$

0.29

$

0.35

(a) Deductible tax impact of prior period acquisition-related costs that impacted this period by $0.01 per share.

NM - not meaningful.

Certain amounts may not add due to rounding.

Consolidated First Quarter Operating Highlights
Compared to the prior year first quarter where applicable

Net sales increased 1.1% to $1.572 billion. Pricing/mix(4) increased 2.1%, volume(5) declined 3.3%, and the Simple Mills acquisition, which cycled on February 21, 2026, added 2.3%. Branded Retail net sales increased $34.1 million, or 3.4%, to $1.045 billion due to favorable pricing/mix and acquisition contribution, partially offset by volume declines. Pricing/mix(4) rose 4.0%, volume(5) decreased 4.2%, and the Simple Mills acquisition contributed 3.6%. Other net sales decreased $16.7 million, or 3.1%, to $526.2 million due to inflationary pressure on consumer spending and from executing margin optimization strategies. Pricing/mix(4) decreased 1.2% and volume(5) declined 1.9%. Materials, supplies, labor, and other production costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) were 50.6% of net sales, a 50-basis point increase. These costs increased as a percentage of net sales mostly due to an increase in outside purchases of product (sales with no associated ingredient costs) and lower production volumes. This increase was partially offset by moderating ingredient costs. Selling, distribution, and administrative (SD&A) expenses were 40.9% of net sales, a 10-basis point increase. SD&A expenses increased as a percentage of net sales due to higher workforce-related costs and greater legal settlements and restructuring implementation costs, partially offset by lower distributor distribution fees and prior year acquisition costs. Excluding matters affecting comparability, adjusted SD&A(2) was 39.3% of net sales, a 20-basis point decrease. Plant closure costs and impairment of assets decreased $7.4 million due to the closure of a bakery in the first quarter of 2025. Depreciation and amortization (D&A) expenses were $51.8 million or 3.3% of net sales, a 10-basis point increase. Net interest expense increased $5.6 million primarily due to higher interest expense from the issuance of debt to fund the Simple Mills acquisition and related fees and expenses. Net income decreased 20.6% to $42.1 million, representing 2.7% of sales, a 70-basis point decrease, and diluted EPS decreased $0.05 to $0.20. Adjusted net income(2) decreased 17.4% to $60.9 million and adjusted diluted EPS(2) decreased $0.06 to $0.29. Adjusted EBITDA(2) decreased 1.8% to $159.0 million, representing 10.1% of net sales, a 30-basis point decrease. Cash Flow, Capital Allocation, and Capital Return

In the first quarter, cash flow from operating activities decreased $27.8 million to $107.9 million, capital expenditures decreased $4.9 million to $20.6 million, and dividends paid to shareholders increased $2.1 million to $54.4 million. Cash and cash equivalents were $11.5 million at quarter end. (1) Any reference to sales refers to net sales inclusive of allowances and deductions against gross sales for variable consideration and consideration payable to customers
(2) Adjusted for items affecting comparability. See reconciliations of non-GAAP measures in the financial statements following this release. Earnings are net income. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are reconciled to net income.
(3) No reconciliation of the forecasted range for adjusted EBITDA to net income for the 52-week Fiscal 2026 is included in this press release because the company is unable to quantify certain amounts that would be required to be included in the GAAP measure without unreasonable efforts. In addition, the company believes such reconciliation would imply a degree of precision that would be confusing or misleading to investors. For the same reasons, the company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to future results.
(4) Calculated as (current year period units X change in price per unit) / prior year period net sales dollars
(5) Calculated as (prior year period price per unit X change in units) / prior year period net sales dollars

Pre-Recorded Management Remarks and Question and Answer Webcast
In conjunction with this release, Flowers Foods will post pre-recorded management remarks and a supporting slide presentation on the investors page of flowersfoods.com. The company will host a live question and answer webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on May 22, 2026, which will be archived on the investors page along with the other related materials.

About Flowers Foods
Headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States with 2025 net sales of $5.3 billion. Flowers operates bakeries across the country that produce a wide range of bakery products. Among the company's top brands are Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Canyon Bakehouse, Simple Mills, Wonder, and Tastykake. Learn more at www.flowersfoods.com. 

FLO-CORP FLO-IR

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release and certain other written or oral statements made from time to time by Flowers Foods, Inc. (the "company", "Flowers Foods", "Flowers", "us", "we", or "our") and its representatives that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to current expectations regarding our business and our future financial condition and results of operations and are often identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would," "is likely to," "is expected to" or "will continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions we believe are reasonable. Forward-looking statements are based on current information and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected. Certain factors that may cause actual results, performance, liquidity, and achievements to differ materially from those projected are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 2026 (the "Form 10-K") and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and may include, but are not limited to, (a) unexpected changes in any of the following: (1) general economic and business conditions; (2) the competitive setting in which we operate, including advertising or promotional strategies by us or our competitors, as well as changes in consumer demand; (3) interest rates and other terms available to us on our borrowings; (4) supply chain conditions and any related impact on energy and raw materials costs and availability and hedging counter-party risks; (5) relationships with or increased costs related to our employees and third-party service providers; (6) laws and regulations (including environmental and health-related issues and the impacts of tariffs, including retaliatory tariffs); and (7) accounting standards or tax rates in the markets in which we operate, (b) the loss or financial instability of any significant customer(s), including as a result of product recalls or safety concerns related to our products, (c) changes in consumer behavior, trends and preferences, including health and whole grain trends and consumer buying habits, the movement toward less expensive store branded products, and the continued reduction of purchases in the fresh packaged bread category, (d) the level of success we achieve in developing and introducing new products and entering new markets, (e) our ability to implement new technology and customer requirements as required, (f) our ability to operate existing, and any new, manufacturing lines according to schedule, (g) our ability to implement and achieve our corporate responsibility goals in accordance with regulatory requirements and the expectations of our stakeholders, suppliers, and customers; (h) our ability to execute our business strategies which may involve, among other things, (1) the ability to realize the intended benefits of completed, planned or contemplated acquisitions, dispositions or joint ventures, such as the acquisition of Simple Mills, (2) the deployment of new systems (e.g., our enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system), distribution channels and technology, and (3) an enhanced organizational structure (e.g., our sales and supply chain reorganization), (i) consolidation within the baking industry and related industries, (j) changes in pricing, customer and consumer reaction to pricing actions (including decreased volumes), and the pricing environment among competitors within the industry, (k) our ability to adjust pricing to offset, or partially offset, inflationary pressure or tariffs (including retaliatory tariffs) on the cost of our products, including ingredient and packaging costs; (l) disruptions in our direct-store-delivery distribution model, including litigation or an adverse ruling by a court or regulatory or governmental body that could affect the independent contractor classifications of the independent distributor partners ("IDPs"), and changes to our direct-store-delivery distribution model in California, (m) increasing legal complexity and legal proceedings that we are or may become subject to, (n) labor shortages and turnover or increases in employee and employee-related costs, (o) the credit, business, and legal risks associated with IDPs and customers, which operate in the highly competitive retail food and foodservice industries, (p) any business disruptions due to political instability, pandemics, armed hostilities, incidents of terrorism, natural disasters, labor strikes or work stoppages, technological breakdowns, product contamination, product recalls or safety concerns related to our products, or the responses to or repercussions from any of these or similar events or conditions and our ability to insure against such events, (q) the failure of our information technology systems to perform adequately, including any interruptions, intrusions, cyber-attacks or security breaches of such systems or risks associated with the implementation of the upgrade of our ERP system; and (r) the potential impact of climate change on the company, including physical and transition risks, our availability or restriction of resources, higher regulatory and compliance costs, reputational risks, and our availability of capital on attractive terms. The foregoing list of important factors does not include all such factors, nor does it necessarily present them in order of importance. In addition, you should consult other disclosures made by the company (such as in our other filings with the SEC or in company press releases) for other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected by the company. Refer to Part I, Item 1A., Risk Factors, of our Form 10-K, Part II, Item 1A., Risk Factors, of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 25, 2026 and subsequent filings with the SEC for additional information regarding factors that could affect the company's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date made and are inherently uncertain. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update such statements, except as required by law. You are advised, however, to consult any further public disclosures by the company (such as in our filings with the SEC or in company press releases) on related subjects.

Information Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The company prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). However, from time to time, the company may present in its public statements, press releases and SEC filings, non-GAAP financial measures such as, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted EPS, adjusted income tax expense, adjusted selling, distribution and administrative expenses (SD&A), and gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization. The reconciliations attached provide reconciliations of the non-GAAP measures used in this presentation or release to the most comparable GAAP financial measure. The company's definitions of these non-GAAP measures may differ from similarly titled measures used by others. These non-GAAP measures should be considered supplemental to, and not a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The company defines EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Earnings are net income. The company believes that EBITDA is a useful tool for managing the operations of its business and is an indicator of the company's ability to incur and service indebtedness and generate free cash flow. The company also believes that EBITDA measures are commonly reported and widely used by investors and other interested parties as measures of a company's operating performance and debt servicing ability because EBITDA measures assist in comparing performance on a consistent basis without regard to depreciation or amortization, which can vary significantly depending upon accounting methods and non-operating factors (such as historical cost). EBITDA is also a widely-accepted financial indicator of a company's ability to incur and service indebtedness.

EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to (a) income from operations or net income (loss) as a measure of operating performance; (b) cash flows provided by operating, investing and financing activities (as determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of the company's ability to meet its cash needs; or (c) any other indicator of performance or liquidity that has been determined in accordance with GAAP.

The company defines adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted EPS, adjusted income tax expense and adjusted SD&A, respectively, to exclude additional costs that the company considers important to present to investors to increase the investors' insights about the company's core operations. These costs include, but are not limited to, the costs of closing a plant or costs associated with acquisition and integration-related activities, restructuring activities, certain impairment charges, legal settlements, costs to implement an enterprise resource planning system and enhance bakery digital capabilities (business process improvement costs) to provide investors direct insight into these costs, and other costs impacting past and future comparability. The company believes that these measures, when considered together with its GAAP financial results, provide management and investors with a more complete understanding of its business operating results, including underlying trends, by excluding the effects of certain charges. Adjusted EBITDA is used as the primary performance measure in the company's 2014 Omnibus Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (Amended and Restated Effective May 25, 2023).

Presentation of gross margin includes depreciation and amortization in the materials, supplies, labor and other production costs according to GAAP. Our method of presenting gross margin excludes the depreciation and amortization components, as discussed above.

The reconciliations attached provide reconciliations of the non-GAAP measures used in this release to the most comparable GAAP financial measure.

Flowers Foods, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(000's omitted)

April 25, 2026

January 3, 2026

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

11,519

$

12,100

Other current assets

728,985

694,753

Property, plant and equipment, net

931,774

952,725

Right-of-use leases, net

316,968

321,116

Distributor notes receivable (1)

129,263

130,723

Other assets

41,416

40,007

Cost in excess of net tangible assets, net          

2,020,705

2,032,437

Total assets

$

4,180,630

$

4,183,861

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

Current liabilities

$

521,627

$

502,804

Long-term debt (2)

1,723,772

1,755,132

Right-of-use lease liabilities (3)

318,902

325,075

Other liabilities

313,883

297,363

Stockholders' equity

1,302,446

1,303,487

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

4,180,630

$

4,183,861

(1)  Includes current portion of $21,035 and $22,241, respectively.

(2)  Includes current portion of $399,753 and $399,575, respectively.

(3)  Includes current portion of $66,826 and $73,778, respectively.

Flowers Foods, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Operations

 (000's omitted, except per share data)

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Net sales

$

1,571,577

$

1,554,230

Materials, supplies, labor and other production costs (exclusive of
   depreciation and amortization shown separately below)

795,389

778,346

Selling, distribution, and administrative expenses

642,934

633,513

Restructuring charges

1,652

573

Plant closure costs and impairment of assets

—

7,397

Depreciation and amortization expense

51,790

49,268

Income from operations

79,812

85,133

Other pension cost (benefit)

118

(117)

Interest expense, net

19,634

14,048

Income before income taxes

60,060

71,202

Income tax expense

18,005

18,204

Net income

$

42,055

$

52,998

Net income per diluted common share

$

0.20

$

0.25

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding

212,577

212,138

Flowers Foods, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(000's omitted)

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$

42,055

$

52,998

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating
   activities:

   Total non-cash adjustments

86,488

77,135

   Changes in assets and liabilities

(20,686)

5,501

Net cash provided by operating activities

107,857

135,634

Cash flows from investing activities:

   Purchase of property, plant and equipment

(20,623)

(25,556)

   Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired

—

(791,880)

   Other

990

(18,578)

Net cash disbursed for investing activities

(19,633)

(836,014)

Cash flows from financing activities:

   Dividends paid

(54,430)

(52,323)

   Stock repurchases

(3,787)

(5,499)

   Net change in debt borrowings

(32,000)

776,580

   Payment of financing fees

(1,767)

(10,056)

   Other

3,179

(5,987)

Net cash (disbursed for) provided by financing activities

(88,805)

702,715

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

(581)

2,335

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

12,100

5,005

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

11,519

$

7,340

Flowers Foods, Inc.

Net Sales by Sales Class and Net Sales Bridge

(000's omitted)

Net Sales by Sales Class              

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

$ Change

% Change

Branded Retail

$

1,045,373

$

1,011,322

$

34,051

3.4

%

Other

526,204

542,908

(16,704)

(3.1)

%

Total Net Sales

$

1,571,577

$

1,554,230

$

17,347

1.1

%

Net Sales Bridge 

For the 16-week period ended April 25, 2026

Branded Retail

Other

Total

Pricing/mix^*

4.0

%

(1.2)

%

2.1

%

Volume*

(4.2)

%

(1.9)

%

(3.3)

%

Acquisition (until cycled on February 21, 2026)

3.6

%

—

2.3

%

Total percentage point change in net sales

3.4

%

(3.1)

%

1.1

%

The table above presents certain sales by category that have been reclassified from amounts previously reported to conform
to the current period presentation.

^ Includes sales reductions from variable consideration and payments to customers.

* Computations above are calculated as follows (the Total column is consolidated and is not adding the Branded Retail and
Other columns):

      Price/Mix $ = Current year period units × change in price per unit

      Price/Mix % = Price/Mix $ ÷ Prior year period Net Sales $

      Volume $ = Prior year period price per unit × change in units

      Volume % = Volume $ ÷ Prior year period Net Sales $

Flowers Foods, Inc.

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

(000's omitted, except per share data)

Reconciliation of Earnings per Share to Adjusted Earnings
per Share

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Net income per diluted common share

$

0.20

$

0.25

Business process improvement costs

NM

NM

Plant closure costs and impairment of assets

—

0.03

Restructuring charges

0.01

NM

Restructuring-related implementation costs

0.03

0.02

Acquisition and integration-related costs

NM

(a)

0.05

Legal settlements and related costs

0.05

NM

Adjusted net income per diluted common share

$

0.29

$

0.35

NM - not meaningful.

Certain amounts may not add due to rounding.

(a) Deductible tax impact of prior period acquisition-related costs that impacted this period by $0.01 per share.

Reconciliation of Gross Margin

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

For the 16-Week Period
Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Net sales

$

1,571,577

$

1,554,230

Materials, supplies, labor and other production costs (exclusive
   of depreciation and amortization)

795,389

778,346

Gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization

776,188

775,884

Less depreciation and amortization for production activities

28,961

27,484

Gross margin

$

747,227

$

748,400

Depreciation and amortization for production activities

$

28,961

$

27,484

Depreciation and amortization for selling, distribution, and
   administrative activities

22,829

21,784

Total depreciation and amortization

$

51,790

$

49,268

Reconciliation of Selling, Distribution, and Administrative
Expenses to Adjusted SD&A

For the 16-Week Period Ended

For the 16-Week Period Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Selling, distribution, and administrative expenses
   (SD&A)

$

642,934

$

633,513

Business process improvement costs

(1,241)

(891)

Restructuring-related implementation costs

(8,227)

(4,288)

Acquisition and integration-related costs

(1,897)

(13,764)

Legal settlements and related costs

(14,400)

(697)

Adjusted SD&A

$

617,169

$

613,873

Flowers Foods, Inc.

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

(000's omitted, except per share data)

Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA and Adjusted
EBITDA

For the 16-Week Period Ended

For the 16-Week Period Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Net income

$

42,055

$

52,998

Income tax expense

18,005

18,204

Interest expense, net

19,634

14,048

Depreciation and amortization

51,790

49,268

EBITDA

131,484

134,518

Other pension cost (benefit)

118

(117)

Business process improvement costs

1,241

891

Plant closure costs and impairment of assets

—

7,397

Restructuring charges

1,652

573

Restructuring-related implementation costs

8,227

4,288

Acquisition and integration-related costs

1,897

13,764

Legal settlements and related costs

14,400

697

Adjusted EBITDA

$

159,019

$

162,011

Net sales

$

1,571,577

$

1,554,230

Adjusted EBITDA margin

10.1

%

10.4

%

Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense to Adjusted Income Tax
Expense

For the 16-Week Period Ended

For the 16-Week Period Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Income tax expense

$

18,005

$

18,204

Tax impact of:

Business process improvement costs

310

223

Plant closure costs and impairment of assets

—

1,850

Restructuring charges

413

144

Restructuring-related implementation costs

2,057

1,072

Acquisition and integration-related costs

2,214

(a)

3,439

Legal settlements and related costs

3,600

174

Adjusted income tax expense

$

26,599

$

25,106

(a) Includes certain deductible tax acquisition-related costs from the prior period.

Flowers Foods, Inc.

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

(000's omitted, except per share data)

Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted Net Income

For the 16-Week
Period Ended

For the 16-Week
Period Ended

April 25, 2026

April 19, 2025

Net income

$

42,055

$

52,998

Business process improvement costs

931

668

Plant closure costs and impairment of assets

—

5,547

Restructuring charges

1,239

429

Restructuring-related implementation costs

6,170

3,216

Acquisition and integration-related costs

(317)

(a)

10,325

Legal settlements and related costs

10,800

523

Adjusted net income

$

60,878

$

73,706

(a) Includes certain deductible tax acquisition-related costs from the prior period.

Reconciliation of Earnings per Share -
Full Year Fiscal 2026 Guidance

Range Estimate

Net income per diluted common share

$

0.71

to

$

0.81

Business process improvement costs

NM

NM

Restructuring charges

0.01

0.01

Restructuring-related implementation costs

0.03

0.03

Acquisition and integration-related costs

NM

NM

Legal settlements and related costs

0.05

0.05

Adjusted net income per diluted common share

$

0.80

to

$

0.90

NM - not meaningful.

Certain amounts may not add due to rounding.

SOURCE Flowers Foods, Inc.

Flowers Foods (FLO - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.29 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.28 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.35 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +3.57%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bakery goods company would post earnings of $0.16 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.22, delivering a surprise of +37.5%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

Flowers Foods, which belongs to the Zacks Food - Miscellaneous industry, posted revenues of $1.57 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.58%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.55 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Flowers Foods shares have lost about 33.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.6%.

What's Next for Flowers Foods?While Flowers Foods has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Flowers Foods was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.24 on $1.23 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.86 on $5.2 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Food - Miscellaneous is currently in the bottom 19% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Another stock from the same industry, Campbell's (CPB - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended April 2026. The results are expected to be released on June 8.

This maker of canned soup, Pepperidge Farm cookies and V8 juice is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.47 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -35.6%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.9% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

Campbell's' revenues are expected to be $2.39 billion, down 3.4% from the year-ago quarter.

Flowers Foods, Inc. (FLO) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

3 High-Yield Bargains to Watch in 2025’s Second HalfFlowers Foods NYSE: FLO said it delivered first-quarter bottom-line results ahead of expectations despite softer sales trends and continued pressure in the traditional bread category, as management pointed to brand investment, cost controls and balance sheet priorities as key themes for the rest of fiscal 2026.

Chairman and CEO Ryals McMullian said the company “continued to execute against a challenging backdrop,” citing progress on a comprehensive review of Flowers Foods’ brand portfolio, supply chain and financial strategy. He said the company is sharpening its focus on core brands, including a nationwide relaunch of Nature’s Own, while continuing to build its position in better-for-you segments.

Get Flowers Foods alerts:

“We also saw positive trends in premium bread and cake categories, helping us offset some of the ongoing softness in the traditional bread category, where we underperformed in the quarter,” McMullian said.

Inflation Pressures Shift Toward Oil-Related Costs Management said Flowers Foods is largely protected on the commodities it hedges for the balance of 2026. CFO Anthony Scaglione said the company is “virtually fully hedged” for the rest of the year on commodities included in its hedging program.

However, Scaglione said the company is now seeing pressure in areas tied to oil, including distribution and resin, which has affected packaging costs. He said packaging was not viewed as a cost concern when the year began, but the company is now looking at mitigation efforts such as packaging configuration changes, alternative materials and other productivity measures.

Scaglione said the impact of oil is twofold: it affects consumers through fuel prices and sentiment, while also creating input pressure through distribution and resin costs. He said the updated cost assumptions are already reflected in the company’s reaffirmed guidance. Asked to size the incremental pressure, he said oil and oil-derived costs represent roughly $0.02 to $0.03 of headwind in the back half of the year.

Nature’s Own Relaunch Aims to Stabilize Traditional Bread McMullian highlighted the nationwide relaunch of Nature’s Own as one of the company’s most important initiatives. He said the relaunch involved reformulating the brand’s traditional loaf bread, removing roughly another third of the ingredients and making it non-GMO verified.

McMullian described the product as “the cleanest label traditional loaf bread at scale in the country” and said the company is backing the relaunch with a broad marketing campaign featuring John Cena. The campaign launched shortly before the call.

The effort is aimed at addressing weakness in traditional loaf bread, which McMullian said accounts for about 38% of the company’s branded retail business. He said stabilizing volumes in that category would be the most important measure of success.

“At a minimum, getting our volume stabilized in traditional loaf will do more for the business than any other lever that we can pull,” McMullian said. He cautioned, however, that the marketing campaign may not have an immediate impact and said the company will need several months to assess its effectiveness.

Promotional Environment Remains Challenging Management also addressed a more intense promotional environment, particularly as consumers face affordability pressures. McMullian said Flowers Foods has seen similar competitive periods before and that such levels of promotion have typically not been sustainable.

He said recent pressure on consumer sentiment, including higher gas prices and weaker sentiment data, remains a concern. Still, McMullian said the company is taking a long-term approach centered on brand strength, product quality, service, innovation and differentiation rather than relying heavily on price.

McMullian noted that Flowers Foods took pricing late last year, and said price gaps have remained wider than the company would prefer in the near term. That has affected volume performance, particularly in traditional loaf bread. He added that Flowers Foods pulled back on promotions and marketing spending in the first quarter ahead of the Nature’s Own relaunch, but expects its promotional calendar to return to a more normal level as the year progresses.

In channels where price gaps have started to narrow, McMullian said the company is already seeing share improvements.

Guidance Reaffirmed as Cost Controls and Growth Initiatives Continue Flowers Foods reaffirmed its outlook for fiscal 2026. Scaglione said the guidance assumes easier volume comparisons as the year progresses, but does not assume a broad volume recovery. He cited several factors supporting management’s confidence, including the Nature’s Own relaunch, expansion of half-loaf offerings, continued growth in snack and better-for-you products, and expectations for some stabilization in pricing and promotions.

The company is also looking for cost savings. Scaglione said potential offsets to inflation could come mostly from SG&A, while packaging-related improvements could benefit cost of goods sold. McMullian said the company is not anticipating major supply chain changes this year, though broader supply chain optimization remains part of its longer-term plans.

On capital spending, Scaglione said the company’s 2026 capital expenditure outlook of $115 million to $125 million includes roughly $2 million per bakery for maintenance, with the remaining spending directed toward growth, product line extensions and productivity initiatives.

Dividend Reset Prioritizes Deleveraging Scaglione said cash freed up by the company’s dividend reset will primarily be directed toward reducing leverage. In response to an analyst’s estimate that the move could free up about $100 million in cash and reduce leverage by roughly 0.2 turns if fully applied to debt reduction, Scaglione said that was the right way to frame it.

He said the company’s first priority is to deleverage, with a goal of getting below three times leverage by the end of fiscal 2027. Flowers Foods also plans to continue investing in its brands, including initiatives such as the Nature’s Own relaunch.

In foodservice, McMullian said consumer pressure and restaurant traffic trends remain factors to watch, but noted that the business has improved recently on the top line and is more profitable than it was several years ago following prior efforts to improve returns.

About Flowers Foods NYSE: FLOFlowers Foods, Inc is one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States, offering a variety of fresh bread, buns, rolls, snack cakes and tortillas. Headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, the company operates an extensive network of bakeries and distribution centers that serve retail grocery chains, convenience stores, mass merchandisers and foodservice customers nationwide. Flowers Foods markets its products under well-known brands such as Nature's Own, Wonder, Dave's Killer Bread, Mrs.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

Should You Invest $1,000 in Flowers Foods Right Now?Before you consider Flowers Foods, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Flowers Foods wasn't on the list.

While Flowers Foods currently has a Reduce rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

Discover the next wave of investment opportunities with our report, 7 Stocks That Will Be Magnificent in 2026. Explore companies poised to replicate the growth, innovation, and value creation of the tech giants dominating today's markets.

Get This Free Report

Flowers Foods is positioned as a turnaround play, with management focused on cost-cutting and operational simplification despite recent earnings and revenue misses. FLO's profitability remains pressured by macroeconomic headwinds and volume declines, but the stock trades at compellingly low forward multiples versus peers. Strategic initiatives include discontinuing underperforming products, a major ERP upgrade, and a relaunch of the Nature's Own brand to drive long-term margin improvement.

Image: Bigstock

Read MoreHide Full Article

Key Takeaways FLO Q1 sales rose 1.1% to $1,572M, but comparable sales fell 1.2%, and volumes dropped 3.3%. Flowers Foods said pricing/mix and Simple Mills lifted sales; retail rose 3.4%, though volume fell 4.2%. Nature's Own relaunch strengthens FLO's wellness positioning with simpler ingredients and Non-GMO loaves. Flowers Foods, Inc. (FLO - Free Report) entered first-quarter fiscal 2026 facing persistent weakness in the fresh packaged bread category, with consumer trade-down behavior and elevated promotional activity continuing to pressure traditional loaf sales. Despite overall demand trends remaining soft, the company’s first-quarter performance highlighted how important the Nature’s Own relaunch is to its branded bread strategy.

Net sales increased 1.1% year over year to $1,572 million in the quarter, supported by pricing and mix gains, along with the contribution from the Simple Mills acquisition. However, comparable sales declined 1.2%, while total volumes fell 3.3%. The branded retail business still delivered 3.4% sales growth, though volumes in the segment decreased 4.2%, reflecting ongoing pressure in traditional loaf.

Shares of FLO have tumbled 18.2% over the past three months compared with the industry’s decline of 13.3%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Nature’s Own Takes Center Stage at FLOFlowers Foods relaunched Nature’s Own with fewer and simpler ingredients, upgraded packaging and Non-GMO Project Verified products. Nature’s Own is now positioned as the largest Non-GMO Project Verified loaf product in the market at a national scale. The refreshed lineup also includes half loaves aimed at affordability, freshness and changing household consumption patterns.

The initiative appears focused not only on refreshing shelf appeal but also on aligning the brand more closely with consumer preferences around wellness and ingredient transparency. Flowers Foods paired the relaunch with a nationwide marketing campaign to strengthen visibility and reinforce the better-for-you positioning.

The challenge remains balancing premium positioning with an increasingly price-sensitive consumer environment. Traditional loaf continues to face softer demand as shoppers migrate toward value offerings and lower-priced alternatives. Even so, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company pointed to early signs of improvement in certain markets where pricing gaps have narrowed.

Nature’s Own now sits at the center of Flowers Foods’ effort to improve performance in a pressured bread market while shifting consumer perception beyond conventional packaged bread. The success of that strategy will likely depend on whether the simpler-ingredient positioning can generate sustained volume recovery in a category still dealing with cautious consumer spending and aggressive competitive pricing.

Stocks to ConsiderThe Chef's Warehouse, Inc. (CHEF - Free Report) , a specialty food distributor serving restaurants, hotels and hospitality customers, sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Chef's Warehouse’s current financial-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 8.3% and 24.7%, respectively, from the prior-year reported levels. CHEF delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 28.9%, on average.

B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS - Free Report) is a packaged foods company that owns a portfolio of shelf-stable and frozen food brands across categories such as spices, snacks, cereals, baking products and frozen vegetables. BGS carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for B&G Foods’ current and next fiscal-year EPS has seen upward revisions by 5.6% and 11.9%, respectively, over the past 30 days. The consensus mark for BGS’ current and next fiscal-year EPS implies growth of 11.8% and 15.8%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures.

Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN - Free Report) operates as a leading protein company, producing chicken, beef, pork and prepared food products. TSN currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Tyson Foods’ current fiscal-year sales calls for growth of 4.5%, while the consensus mark for earnings indicates a 0.5% increase from the year-ago reported figures. TSN delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 18.1%, on average.

Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report) Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.

Click Here, It's Really Free

Published in consumer-staples

Flowers Foods, Inc. is rated a Buy, with an attractive 6.7% yield post-dividend cut and a focus on sustainability. Management reset the dividend to strengthen the balance sheet, targeting net leverage below 3x EBITDA by fiscal 2027. Q1 results were broadly in line: branded segment dollar growth offset volume declines, while cost control and Simple Mills' momentum support the strategic outlook.