Americold Realty Trust (NYSE:COLD) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.68 EPS

Americold Realty Trust (NYSE:COLD) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported ($0.31) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.68), FiscalAI reports. Americold Realty Trust had a negative net margin of 2.39% and a negative return on equity of 1.96%. The firm had revenue of $658.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $654.55 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.37 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Americold Realty Trust updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.200-1.300 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Americold Realty Trust’s conference call:

• 2026 AFFO is guided to $1.20–$1.30 per share (vs. $1.43 in 2025), reflecting continued occupancy and pricing headwinds; guidance excludes any unannounced deleveraging transactions.
• Management is pursuing meaningful deleveraging (targeting ~6x or below Net Debt / EBITDA) via potential joint ventures or asset sales to preserve an investment-grade rating, with more details expected in H1.
• Commercial execution remains strong — ~60% of rent/storage revenue now comes from fixed-commitment contracts and Q4 services margin was nearly 14% (12.7% FY), alongside new wins (e.g., On the Run in Australia) and European retail expansions.
• Active portfolio management continued — ~10 sites were exited/idle in 2025 (removing >65,000 pallet positions), nine candidate sites identified for 2026 (two already closed), intended to improve network profitability and occupancy.
• Cost actions largely in place — management expects about $30M of annualized indirect labor/SG&A savings and will reduce Project Orion cash spend by roughly $50M in 2026 to free capital.

Americold Realty Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE COLD opened at $13.27 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $12.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $12.93. The stock has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -60.86, a PEG ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Americold Realty Trust has a 12 month low of $10.10 and a 12 month high of $23.52.

Americold Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.9%. Americold Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -418.18%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 100.0% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,612 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 806 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 63.3% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,446 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 948 shares during the period. Norinchukin Bank The raised its position in Americold Realty Trust by 8.0% during the third quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 13,465 shares of the company’s stock valued at $165,000 after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Americold Realty Trust by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 13,762 shares of the company’s stock valued at $177,000 after acquiring an additional 1,164 shares during the period. Finally, Quantum Portfolio Management LLC boosted its position in Americold Realty Trust by 8.8% in the 4th quarter. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC now owns 16,690 shares of the company’s stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 1,346 shares in the last quarter. 98.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Americold Realty Trust

Here are the key news stories impacting Americold Realty Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company set 2026 AFFO guidance of $1.20–$1.30 and outlined cost reductions and portfolio optimization, a major upside vs. prior consensus that boosted investor confidence. Americold (COLD) Soars 15.7% on Upbeat 2026 Outlook, CFO Appointment
• Positive Sentiment: Official results: Q4 AFFO per share rose to $0.38 (slightly ahead of expectations) and management highlighted 2026 priorities to drive margin improvement and services growth. Americold Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Funds-from-operations (FFO) beat expectations (FFO $0.38 vs. $0.37 est.), supporting the AFFO outlook and giving short-term earnings credibility. Americold Realty Trust Inc. (COLD) Surpasses Q4 FFO Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary places Americold as a “turnaround” REIT with deep value and a high yield if management executes on cost cuts and asset sales — this frames upside potential but depends on delivery. REITs Set for a 2026 Rebound? 7 Top Picks as Rate Cuts Approach
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP Q4 EPS missed badly (reported -$0.31 vs. $0.37 est.), revenue was slightly above estimates but down 1.2% y/y, and margins/ROE remain negative — these fundamentals keep execution risk and downside if guidance proves optimistic. Americold Realty Trust misses Q4 earnings expectations, shares fall

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on COLD shares. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Americold Realty Trust from $13.00 to $11.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Evercore decreased their price target on Americold Realty Trust from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered Americold Realty Trust from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Americold Realty Trust from $17.00 to $15.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Americold Realty Trust from $15.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.85.

About Americold Realty Trust

Americold Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust specializing in temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics solutions. The company owns, operates, and develops a global network of cold storage facilities designed to support the storage, handling, and distribution of perishable products. Services include blast freezing, repacking, labeling, cross-docking, and transportation management, all integrated to streamline clients’ cold chain operations and help ensure product quality and safety from origin to point of consumption.

With roots dating back to the early 20th century, Americold has expanded through strategic acquisitions and facility development to become one of the world’s largest publicly traded cold storage providers.