ConAgra Brands, Inc. (CAG) had one of those quarters that looks decent on paper but leaves investors feeling uneasy. The packaged-food maker beat profit expectations on Friday, but that wasn't enough to offset a revenue miss and mounting concerns about tariff costs eating into margins.
The company posted second-quarter adjusted earnings of 45 cents per share, edging past the analyst consensus of 44 cents. That's the good news. The less-good news? Quarterly sales came in at $2.979 billion, falling short of the Street's $2.986 billion expectation.
Net sales dropped 6.8% overall, driven by a 3.9% hit from mergers and acquisitions, a 3.0% organic decline, and just a 0.1% boost from favorable foreign exchange. Adding to the headache, the company noted an approximately 100 basis point drag from shifts in retailer purchasing activity around quarter-end, including changes in merchandising event timing and inventory builds.
Where the Weakness Showed Up
The pain was widespread across ConAgra's business segments. The Grocery & Snacks division saw net sales tumble 8.5% to $1.2 billion. Refrigerated & Frozen wasn't much better, declining 6.5% to $1.3 billion. International sales slumped 5.4% to $230 million, while Foodservice held up relatively well with just a 1.3% decrease to $288 million.
Margins Take a Hit
Here's where things get uncomfortable. Adjusted operating profit margin compressed to 11.3% from 15.3% a year earlier. That's a substantial squeeze, and it shows up elsewhere too. Adjusted gross profit fell 17.1% to $698 million as productivity gains couldn't offset lower net sales. Gross margin contracted 292 basis points to 23.4%.
Adjusted EBITDA dropped 25.2% to $478 million in the quarter, primarily reflecting that gross profit decline. Cash flow also took a beating: the company generated just $331 million in operating cash flow during the first half of fiscal 2026, compared to $754 million in the prior year period.
Outlook: Steady Guidance, Rising Cost Pressures
Despite the mixed results, ConAgra reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $1.70 to $1.85, which brackets the analyst estimate of $1.75. The company also stuck with its organic net sales outlook, projecting a change between a 1% decline and flat growth compared to fiscal 2025. Adjusted operating margin guidance remained at approximately 11.0% to 11.5%.
But here's the kicker: inflation pressures aren't letting up. ConAgra expects cost-of-goods-sold inflation to remain elevated throughout fiscal 2026, with core inflation running slightly above 4%. Then there are the tariffs. The company warned that previously announced U.S. tariffs could add roughly 3% to fiscal 2026 cost of goods sold, driven by higher duties on tin plate steel, aluminum, and certain imports from China.
Put it all together, and ConAgra is forecasting total cost-of-goods-sold inflation of about 7% for fiscal 2026 after factoring in tariffs, cost savings initiatives, and pricing actions. That's a hefty burden for a food company operating on already compressed margins.
CAG Price Action: ConAgra Brands shares were down 3.48% at $17.18 at the time of publication on Friday.