Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ) Posts Earnings Results, Hits Estimates

Utz Brands (NYSE:UTZ) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.26, FiscalAI reports. Utz Brands had a return on equity of 8.12% and a net margin of 0.39%.The firm had revenue of $342.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $346.99 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.22 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. Utz Brands updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.771-0.795 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Utz Brands’ conference call:

• Company reiterated confidence in its 2026 commercial plan and guided to roughly 200–300 basis points of organic growth (midpoint ~2.5%), assuming a flat category while keeping flexibility for a dynamic market.
• Midpoint EBITDA expansion is modest at about 40–50 basis points, with a $4–6M California startup spend and possible inflation/reinvestment headwinds limiting margin upside versus prior expectations.
• Management expects positive distribution gains, with shelving in California starting imminently and innovations (protein pretzels, new Boulder Canyon SKUs) launching in Q2 to drive household acquisition and volume.
• Balance sheet focus remains intact—finished 2025 at 3.4x leverage, targeting 3.0–3.2x in 2026, plans to delever ~0.3–0.4x per year and pursue a long-term free cash flow goal of ~$100M toward a 2.5–3.0x target.

Utz Brands Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of UTZ stock traded up $0.18 on Friday, reaching $9.18. 1,296,109 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,614,967. Utz Brands has a 1-year low of $8.72 and a 1-year high of $14.67. The stock has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 131.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $10.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.42.

Utz Brands Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a dividend of $0.063 per share. This is an increase from Utz Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. Utz Brands’s payout ratio is 357.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on UTZ shares. Barclays set a $12.00 target price on shares of Utz Brands in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson set a $15.00 target price on shares of Utz Brands in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Utz Brands from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. UBS Group set a $10.00 price target on Utz Brands in a report on Friday. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Utz Brands from $15.00 to $13.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Utz Brands currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.00.

Key Utz Brands News

Here are the key news stories impacting Utz Brands this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS matched consensus at $0.26 and rose from $0.22 a year ago, showing earnings resilience even with topline pressure. UTZ Q4 Earnings Match (Zacks)
• Positive Sentiment: Gross profit margin improved by ~50 basis points and branded salty snacks organic net sales grew ~2.5%, suggesting operating leverage and product strength that can support margins going forward. Utz Q4 Results (Business Wire)
• Positive Sentiment: Management emphasized strategic expansion and innovation on the earnings call (new SKUs/distribution and cost initiatives) which may reassure investors about medium-term growth and margin plans. Earnings Call Highlights (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Net sales were essentially flat (+0.4% YoY), showing stability but limited top-line momentum in a competitive snacks market. Utz Q4 Results (Business Wire)
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue came in light at $342.2M versus ~ $347M consensus, a modest miss that tempers the positive EPS headline. Q4 Revenue Details (MarketBeat)
• Negative Sentiment: FY-2026 EPS guidance was lowered to $0.771–$0.795 vs. consensus ~ $0.88, a clear near-term miss that reduces upside expectations and is the primary negative for the stock. Guidance Update (Business Wire)
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlighted a perceived swing to weaker GAAP results and an outlook miss, which can increase short-term selling pressure if cost or demand trends deteriorate. MarketWatch: Slides on Swing to 4Q Loss

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Utz Brands news, Director Dylan Lissette purchased 7,010 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $9.99 per share, with a total value of $70,029.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 160,694 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,605,333.06. This trade represents a 4.56% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Series R. Of Um Partners, Llc purchased 12,420 shares of Utz Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $9.60 per share, for a total transaction of $119,232.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 628,594 shares in the company, valued at $6,034,502.40. This represents a 2.02% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 29,020 shares of company stock worth $283,851. 16.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Utz Brands

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Utz Brands during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 431.5% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 3,343 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 2,714 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of Utz Brands by 76.1% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,756 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,623 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its position in Utz Brands by 505.6% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 10,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $137,000 after acquiring an additional 9,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Utz Brands by 79.6% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 11,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,000 after acquiring an additional 4,914 shares during the last quarter. 95.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Utz Brands Company Profile

Utz Brands, Inc is a leading U.S. manufacturer and distributor of salty snack foods, offering a wide range of products including potato chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, popcorn and tortilla chips. Headquartered in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the company markets its snacks under several well-known brands and serves grocery, mass merchandise, club, convenience and online retailers throughout the United States.

Founded in 1921 by Bill and Salie Utz as a small country store operation, the business expanded gradually through direct delivery to local customers and sales to regional grocers.