Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.800-0.900 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.990. The company issued revenue guidance of $5.2 billion-$5.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $5.2 billion.

Flowers Foods Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:FLO traded down $0.34 during trading on Thursday, hitting $11.35. 7,253,921 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,150,364. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $10.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.57. Flowers Foods has a 52-week low of $9.93 and a 52-week high of $20.23. The company has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.34 and a beta of 0.33.

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.06. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 3.78% and a return on equity of 16.35%. Flowers Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.800-0.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Flowers Foods will post 1.18 EPS for the current year.

Flowers Foods Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th were issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.7%. Flowers Foods’s dividend payout ratio is presently 107.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FLO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised Flowers Foods from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Flowers Foods in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Flowers Foods from $15.00 to $10.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Flowers Foods presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $13.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Flowers Foods news, CEO Ryals Mcmullian sold 209,000 shares of Flowers Foods stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.87, for a total transaction of $2,271,830.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,022,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,113,270.60. The trade was a 16.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 11.57% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Flowers Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting Flowers Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported quarterly EPS beat certain consensus estimates — Flowers announced $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks consensus of $0.16, which supports near‑term earnings credibility. Flowers Foods (FLO) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Company issued its full press release, slide deck and conference call — useful for digging into adjustments, one‑time items and management commentary to reconcile differing headlines. FLOWERS FOODS, INC. REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational leadership updates — Flowers named David Roach as Chief DSD Operations Officer and announced leadership for a newly formed cake division; these moves affect distribution/DSD execution but are longer‑term in nature. Flowers names leaders for DSD, newly formed cake division
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal‑2026 EPS guidance was lowered versus Street expectations — management provided EPS guidance of $0.80–$0.90 while the consensus stood around $0.99, which pressured the stock because it implies slower near‑term earnings growth than analysts expected. FLOWERS FOODS, INC. REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS
• Negative Sentiment: Third‑party financial breakdown showed a GAAP operating loss and net loss in Q4, revenues slightly below Street, and notable insider/institutional selling — these items raise concerns about margin pressure (costs, ERP expenses) and investor sentiment. Flowers Foods (FLO) Stock Falls on Q4 2025 Earnings

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Flowers Foods

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FLO. DRW Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Flowers Foods in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $186,000. Lido Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Flowers Foods by 17.4% in the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 16,802 shares of the company’s stock valued at $183,000 after acquiring an additional 2,495 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its position in Flowers Foods by 66.2% in the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 12,965 shares of the company’s stock worth $169,000 after acquiring an additional 5,164 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Flowers Foods in the second quarter worth approximately $163,000. Finally, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. acquired a new stake in Flowers Foods during the third quarter worth $162,000. 75.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Flowers Foods Company Profile

Flowers 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.