Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI) posted its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $465.03 million for the quarter. Marzetti had a net margin of 9.93% and a return on equity of 18.22%.

Marzetti Trading Down 3.3%

Shares of MZTI opened at $113.45 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Marzetti has a 1-year low of $104.28 and a 1-year high of $186.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.28 and a beta of 0.32. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $111.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $127.06.

Marzetti Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. Marzetti’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.60%.

Key Headlines Impacting Marzetti

Here are the key news stories impacting Marzetti this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marzetti reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $1.46 per share on revenue of approximately $465.0 million. Adjusted earnings increased 9%, while improved margins and new product launches helped offset the sales decline. Marzetti Stock Confirms Reversal on Earnings Strength, Dividend Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects gross margin to expand by about 100 basis points in fiscal 2027, supporting the outlook for continued profitability. The company’s dividend-growth record and reported institutional buying may also provide support for the stock. Marzetti expects 100 bps gross margin growth in fiscal 2027
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens reaffirmed its “equal weight” rating and set a $140 price target, while DA Davidson maintained a “neutral” view with a $130 target. Both targets remain above the referenced share price, but the DA Davidson reduction from $168 signals lower expectations for near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Consolidated fourth-quarter sales declined 2.2% to $465.0 million. Although sales increased after excluding the prior year’s temporary $12.2 million Winland Foods supply-agreement revenue, the headline miss versus analyst expectations likely pressured the shares. The Marzetti Company Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Results
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned that Cyclospora-related costs could create an approximately 250-basis-point gross-margin headwind in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, temporarily offsetting the expected full-year margin gains.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MZTI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Marzetti in a research note on Wednesday. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Marzetti from $168.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Marzetti in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $135.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marzetti

In related news, insider Luis Viso sold 1,221 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.31, for a total value of $133,467.51. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,924 shares in the company, valued at $210,312.44. The trade was a 38.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 29.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Marzetti during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,196,000. Wesbanco Bank Inc. bought a new stake in Marzetti during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,736,000. F m Investments LLC purchased a new position in Marzetti in the fourth quarter worth $2,417,000. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Marzetti by 3,214.6% in the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 23,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,320,000 after purchasing an additional 23,274 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in Marzetti during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,839,000. Institutional investors own 66.44% of the company’s stock.

Marzetti Company Profile

Lancaster Colony Corporation engages in the manufacturing and marketing of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice channels in the United States. It operates in two segments, Retail and Foodservice. The company offers frozen garlic bread under the New York BRAND Bakery; frozen Parkerhouse style yeast and dinner rolls under the Sister Schubert's brand; salad dressings under the Marzetti, Simply Dressed, Cardini's, and Girard's brands; vegetable and fruit dips under the Marzetti brand; croutons and salad toppings under the New York BRAND Bakery, Chatham Village, and Marzetti brands; and frozen pasta under the Marzetti Frozen Pasta brand.