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J & J Snack Foods (JJSF)
NASDAQ:JJSF

J & J Snack Foods (JJSF) AI Stock Analysis

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JJSF

J & J Snack Foods

(NASDAQ:JJSF)

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Neutral 64 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:64Neutral
Price Target:
$91.00
▼(-4.08% Downside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/20/26
The score is driven primarily by stable fundamentals (low leverage and solid cash generation) and a constructive earnings outlook tied to Project Apollo margin improvements, partially offset by near-term revenue softness and compressed profitability. Technicals are the largest drag, with the stock trading below major moving averages and negative MACD. Valuation is neutral-to-slightly expensive on P/E, helped by a solid dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Balance-sheet strength
Conservative leverage, meaningful cash and large revolver capacity provide durable financial flexibility. This supports funding Project Apollo, share repurchases, and working-capital needs, and cushions the business against demand shocks or input-cost volatility over the next several quarters.
Transformation program (Project Apollo)
A defined $20M run-rate cost-savings program anchored in plant consolidation and G&A/distribution efficiencies should structurally lift margins. As fixed-cost bases shrink and mix improves, the company can sustainably improve operating income and cash conversion over the medium term.
Product portfolio momentum
Strong volume growth in frozen novelties and new launches demonstrates category relevancy and diversified channels. Durable product-level momentum supports steady revenue streams across retail, theaters and amusement venues, reducing reliance on any single customer or channel.
Negative Factors
SKU rationalization sales headwind
Deliberate SKU pruning improves mix and margins but reduces reported top-line in the near-to-medium term. A smaller SKU base can lower nominal revenue growth and complicate meeting investor sales-growth targets until new product and distribution gains offset the pruning impact.
Compressed profitability
Margin compression and episodic nonrecurring charges have reduced reported returns and ROE versus prior years. Until Apollo savings fully offset restructuring costs and working-capital drags, earnings power and margin sustainability will remain under pressure.
Foodservice & bakery demand weakness
Material exposure to foodservice and bakery channels makes revenue sensitive to venue traffic, theatrical box-office trends, and operator economics. Slow recovery in these channels can persistently weigh on volumes and utilization until demand normalizes or retail rebalances growth.

J & J Snack Foods (JJSF) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

J & J Snack Foods Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionJ&J Snack Foods Corp. manufactures, markets, and distributes nutritional snack foods and beverages to the food service and retail supermarket industries in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It operates in three segments: Food Service, Retail Supermarkets, and Frozen Beverages. The company offers soft pretzels under the SUPERPRETZEL, PRETZEL FILLERS, PRETZELFILS, GOURMET TWISTS, MR. TWISTER, SOFT PRETZEL BITES, SOFTSTIX, SOFT PRETZEL BUNS, TEXAS TWIST, BAVARIAN BAKERY, SUPERPRETZEL BAVARIAN, NEW YORK PRETZEL, KIM & SCOTT'S GOURMET PRETZELS, SERIOUSLY TWISTED!, BRAUHAUS, AUNTIE ANNE'S, and LABRIOLA, as well as under the private labels. It also provides frozen novelty under the LUIGI'S, WHOLE FRUIT, PHILLY SWIRL, SOUR PATCH, ICEE, and MINUTE MAID brands; churros under the TIO PEPE'S and CALIFORNIA CHURROS brands; and handheld products under the SUPREME STUFFERS and SWEET STUFFERS brands. In addition, the company offers bakery products, including biscuits, fig and fruit bars, cookies, breads, rolls, crumbs, muffins, and donuts under the MRS. GOODCOOKIE, READI-BAKE, COUNTRY HOME, MARY B'S, DADDY RAY'S, and HILL & VALLEY brands, as well as under private labels; and frozen beverages under the ICEE, SLUSH PUPPIE, and PARROT ICE brands. Further, it provides funnel cakes under the FUNNEL CAKE FACTORY brand, as well as various other food products; and sells machines and machine parts to other food and beverage companies. The company sells its products through a network of food brokers, independent sales distributors, and direct sales force. It serves snack bars and food stand locations in chain, department and mass merchandising stores, malls and shopping centers, fast food and casual dining restaurants, stadiums and sports arenas, leisure and theme parks, convenience stores, movie theatres, warehouse club stores, schools, colleges and other institutions, and independent retailers. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
How the Company Makes MoneyJ & J Snack Foods generates revenue through the sale of its snack products and frozen beverages across multiple channels. The company's revenue model is primarily based on direct sales to food service operators, grocery stores, and convenience retailers. Key revenue streams include bulk sales to distributors and retailers, as well as direct sales to end-users in various sectors such as schools, amusement parks, and stadiums. Significant partnerships with food service operators and retailers enhance the company's market reach and visibility. Additionally, JJSF benefits from brand recognition and customer loyalty, which contribute to repeat sales and stable revenue growth.

J & J Snack Foods Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 03, 2026
(Q1-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 04, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presents a positive transformation narrative: profitability measures (adjusted EBITDA and gross margin) improved, early Project Apollo savings were realized and a $20M run-rate target was reiterated, and key product lines (pretzels, Dogsters, Dippin' Dots) showed strong growth. However, these positives are tempered by a 5.2% decline in net sales driven by deliberate SKU rationalization (an expected ~3% headwind), notable one-time charges that compressed reported EPS, and near-term nonrecurring costs. The balance sheet and cash generation are solid, and management signaled confidence in returning to organic growth as consolidation and initiatives fully ramp.
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Adjusted EBITDA Growth
Adjusted EBITDA of $27.0M, a 7% increase versus prior year (from $25.3M), demonstrating early profitability improvements from transformation initiatives.
Gross Margin Expansion
Consolidated gross margin improved 200 basis points to 27.9% year-over-year, driven by Project Apollo savings, plant consolidation, and improved product mix.
Project Apollo Early Savings and Run-Rate Target
Realized over $3M of net savings in Q1 from Project Apollo; plant consolidation on track to be complete in fiscal Q2 and management expects a $20M annual run-rate operating income benefit once fully implemented.
Strong Cash Generation and Balance Sheet
Generated approximately $36M in operating cash flow in the quarter, held ~$67M in cash, no long-term debt, and had ~$210M of borrowing capacity on the revolving credit facility.
Share Repurchase Activity and Authorization
Completed repurchase authorization by buying back $42M of stock in the quarter (just over 158,000 shares at an average ~$91.60) and announced a new $50M repurchase authorization; total repurchases since fiscal 2025 were just over 525,000 shares for ~$50M (avg ~$95).
Pretzel and Snack Portfolio Momentum
Foodservice soft pretzel sales grew 6.9% in the quarter and retail pretzel sales rose ~4% for the 13 weeks ending December; new formulations, packaging, and product launches contributed to gains.
Strong Frozen Novelties and Dippin' Dots Performance
Dogsters volumes grew over 20% driven by new item launches; Dippin' Dots sales increased approximately 4% fueled by retail growth, theater expansion, and amusement center placements.
Retail Segment Improvement and ICEE Rollout
Retail segment net sales increased 2.6% to $45.9M (driven by handheld volume recovery after prior capacity constraints); ICEE rollout to a large Southwest convenience operator completed and QSR test expanding with encouraging results.
Negative Updates
Overall Net Sales Decline
Consolidated net sales declined 5.2% year-over-year to $343.8M, driven largely by deliberate portfolio optimization and SKU rationalization.
Bakery and Foodservice Weakness
About $18M of the revenue decline came from the bakery business as the company focuses on higher-margin items; Foodservice net sales fell $19.7M or 8.3% to $219.2M.
SKU Rationalization Headwind
SKU optimization tied to Project Apollo accounted for roughly $13M of the sales decline; management expects portfolio optimization to represent an approximate 3% sales headwind in fiscal 2026.
One-Time Charges and Reported EPS Impact
Reported diluted EPS was $0.05 versus $0.26 prior year, primarily reflecting one-time charges (including $6.1M of nonrecurring plant closure costs and other charges); adjusted EPS was $0.33, in line with prior year.
Nonrecurring Transformation Costs Expected
Quarter included $6.1M of nonrecurring plant closure costs; management expects an additional ~$5M of nonrecurring transformation project costs in fiscal 2026.
Product Disposal and Tariff Impacts
Results included approximately $1M of product disposal expenses and tariff-related costs of about $600K (net of pricing offsets), which negatively affected gross profit in the quarter.
Operating Expense Increases
Operating expenses rose to $95.4M, including higher selling & marketing (up 9.9%), increased depreciation tied to customer equipment, and administrative expenses up 7.8% partially due to restructuring and legal fees.
Box Office Weakness Impacting Theater-Linked Sales
Box office performance aligned to fiscal Q1 declined an estimated ~10% year-over-year, negatively impacting theater-related frozen novelty demand; management noted box office improvement only in January.
Company Guidance
Management reiterated that Project Apollo is expected to deliver a $20 million annual run‑rate improvement in operating income once fully activated, noting over $3 million of net savings realized in Q1 and that roughly $15 million of the $20 million (plant consolidation) should be in run‑rate beginning in fiscal Q2 while the remaining ~$5 million (distribution and G&A) will ramp in Q3 and reach full run‑rate by Q4; they expect portfolio optimization to be an approximate 3% sales headwind in fiscal 2026 but still target low‑single‑digit organic sales growth for the year. Other forward items include an expectation that some tariff pressure will subside over FY26, approximately $5 million of additional nonrecurring transformation costs this year, a new $50 million share‑repurchase authorization (after $42 million bought in Q1 and ~$50 million total repurchased across FY25–26), and continued balance‑sheet flexibility with about $67 million of cash, no long‑term debt and $210 million of revolver capacity — with Q1 operating context of adjusted EBITDA $27 million and gross margin up 200 bps to 27.9%.

J & J Snack Foods Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Financials are stable but mixed: revenue is slightly down TTM (-1.19%) and margins/returns have compressed (net margin ~4.1% vs ~5.5% in FY2024; ROE ~6.9% TTM vs ~8.7%–9.0% prior). Offsetting this, leverage is conservative (~0.17x debt/equity) and cash generation is solid (TTM OCF $165.9M; FCF $83.1M), though cash conversion is weaker (FCF ~0.50x net income) and has been volatile.
Income Statement
63
Positive
TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) revenue is slightly down (-1.19%) versus the prior year, signaling a near-term slowdown after several years of growth. Profitability remains healthy for the category with ~29.7% gross margin and ~10.2% EBITDA margin, but earnings power has softened versus FY2024 as net margin declined to ~4.1% (from ~5.5% in FY2024), indicating some cost or pricing pressure.
Balance Sheet
78
Positive
Leverage is conservative, with debt at ~0.17x equity in both TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) and the latest annual period, providing balance-sheet flexibility. Equity is sizable relative to total assets, and returns are solid with return on equity around ~6.9% TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months), though down from FY2023–FY2024 levels (~8.7%–9.0%), suggesting profitability has moderated.
Cash Flow
71
Positive
Cash generation is generally strong: TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) operating cash flow is $165.9M and free cash flow is $83.1M, with a sharp rebound from the weak FY2022 cash profile (negative free cash flow). However, free cash flow is only about half of net income in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) (~0.50x), implying working-capital or capital-spend drag, and cash flow consistency has shown some volatility year to year.
BreakdownTTMSep 2025Sep 2024Sep 2023Sep 2022Sep 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.56B1.58B1.57B1.56B1.38B1.14B
Gross Profit470.59M469.88M486.13M469.87M369.64M298.93M
EBITDA156.22M161.25M191.37M174.34M115.90M123.42M
Net Income61.34M65.59M86.55M78.91M47.23M55.61M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets1.31B1.38B1.37B1.28B1.24B1.15B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments66.76M105.89M73.39M49.58M39.19M291.17M
Total Debt161.37M163.56M160.50M121.91M111.56M60.53M
Total Liabilities400.42M414.81M408.13M365.72M381.25M306.45M
Stockholders Equity912.86M966.70M956.97M911.52M863.17M845.65M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow83.12M82.25M99.50M67.54M-61.23M47.92M
Operating Cash Flow165.93M165.13M173.07M172.28M26.06M101.50M
Investing Cash Flow-69.26M-70.05M-77.67M-93.24M-296.17M9.94M
Financing Cash Flow-109.21M-64.71M-68.37M-66.84M22.22M-24.67M

J & J Snack Foods Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price94.87
Price Trends
50DMA
90.77
Negative
100DMA
90.22
Negative
200DMA
100.43
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-2.13
Positive
RSI
41.61
Neutral
STOCH
65.94
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For JJSF, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 94.87 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 87.40, above the 50-day MA of 90.77, and below the 200-day MA of 100.43, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -2.13 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 41.61 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 65.94 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for JJSF.

J & J Snack Foods Risk Analysis

J & J Snack Foods disclosed 24 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. J & J Snack Foods reported the most risks in the "Production" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

J & J Snack Foods Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
67
Neutral
$1.84B8.667.39%5.40%1.44%8.29%
64
Neutral
$1.61B27.046.60%3.53%0.54%-24.42%
62
Neutral
$20.33B14.63-3.31%3.23%1.93%-12.26%
62
Neutral
$1.49B18.695.17%8.98%-26.29%
54
Neutral
$2.09B25.036.18%9.15%0.26%-19.45%
48
Neutral
$1.30B993.410.11%2.51%1.22%
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
JJSF
J & J Snack Foods
84.65
-43.44
-33.91%
FLO
Flowers Foods
10.07
-8.02
-44.33%
SMPL
Simply Good Foods
16.91
-20.48
-54.77%
NOMD
Nomad Foods
13.04
-5.11
-28.15%
UTZ
UTZ Brands
9.70
-3.92
-28.78%

J & J Snack Foods Corporate Events

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
J & J Snack Foods Shareholders Back Governance and Board
Positive
Feb 18, 2026

J & J Snack Foods held its annual meeting of shareholders on February 12, 2026, with 18,255,967 common shares represented in person or by proxy. Shareholders elected Mary M. Meder as director, with a substantial majority of votes cast in favor despite a notable number of withheld votes and broker non-votes.

Investors also ratified the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 26, 2026, with overwhelming support. In addition, shareholders approved on an advisory basis the compensation of the company’s named executive officers, reinforcing current governance and pay practices and signaling general investor confidence in management’s direction.

The most recent analyst rating on (JJSF) stock is a Hold with a $86.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on J & J Snack Foods stock, see the JJSF Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyShareholder Meetings
J & J Snack Foods Updates Bylaws for Shareholder Clarity
Neutral
Nov 25, 2025

On November 20, 2025, J & J Snack Foods Corp.’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the company’s Bylaws. The amendments clarify the timeframe for shareholders to submit notice of business for annual meetings and correct a typographical error, potentially impacting shareholder engagement and corporate governance processes.

The most recent analyst rating on (JJSF) stock is a Buy with a $130.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on J & J Snack Foods stock, see the JJSF Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 20, 2026