UTZ Brands (UTZ)
NYSE:UTZ
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UTZ Brands
(NYSE:UTZ)
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Rating:48Neutral
Price Target:
$7.50
▼(-2.72% Downside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/19/26
UTZ scores below-average primarily due to inconsistent profitability and weak free-cash-flow durability despite improved leverage and steady sales trends. Technicals are also bearish with the stock trading below major moving averages and negative MACD. Valuation is a major headwind given the extremely high P/E, partially offset by a moderate dividend yield. Earnings-call commentary is cautiously constructive (modest growth and margin expansion plans), but near-term inflation, leverage, and D&A/EPS headwinds temper the outlook.
Positive Factors
Market Position & Brand Portfolio
Utz's broad portfolio (Utz, Zapp's, Boulder Canyon, Golden Flake, etc.) and scale as the largest pure‑play salty snack firm give durable retail shelf presence, bargaining power with distributors and diversified brand routes to growth, supporting consistent unit demand and incremental distribution gains over months.
Negative Factors
Inconsistent Profitability & Thin Free Cash Flow
Volatile earnings and very modest free cash flow constrain durable reinvestment, debt paydown and shareholder returns. Even with improved operating cash flow, the small FCF buffer leaves the company sensitive to input shocks or working‑capital swings, limiting financial flexibility over the medium term.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Market Position & Brand Portfolio
Utz's broad portfolio (Utz, Zapp's, Boulder Canyon, Golden Flake, etc.) and scale as the largest pure‑play salty snack firm give durable retail shelf presence, bargaining power with distributors and diversified brand routes to growth, supporting consistent unit demand and incremental distribution gains over months.
Read all positive factors
UTZ Brands (UTZ) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$1.11B
Dividend Yield2.51%
Average Volume (3M)1.86M
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)0.19
Revenue Growth1.22%
EPS GrowthN/A
CountryUS
Employees3,000
SectorConsumer Defensive
Sector Strength42
IndustryPackaged Foods
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.26
Shares Outstanding88,430,660
10 Day Avg. Volume2,131,595
30 Day Avg. Volume1,864,010
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-11.86
Price to Book (P/B)1.27
Price to Sales (P/S)0.63
P/FCF Ratio96.06
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.56
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.20
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit4.95
Enterprise Value/Ebitda43.14
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$13.13Price Target Upside70.30% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering8
EPS Forecast (FY)0.78
Revenue Forecast (FY)$1.50B
UTZ Brands Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Utz Brands, Inc. operates as a snack food manufacturing company. It offers a range of salty snacks, including potato chips, kettle chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, veggie snacks, pork skins, pub/party mixes, salsa and queso, ready-t...
How the Company Makes Money
Utz primarily makes money by manufacturing and selling branded salty snack products to customers in the food retail and broader food distribution ecosystem. Revenue is generated mainly through (1) sales to retail channels (e.g., grocery, mass merc...
UTZ Brands Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Any
Revenue by Segment
Breaks down revenue by different business segments, highlighting which areas are driving growth and profitability, and where there may be challenges or opportunities for expansion.
Breaks down revenue by different business segments, highlighting which areas are driving growth and profitability, and where there may be challenges or opportunities for expansion.
Data provided by:
The Fly
The FlyUTZ Brands Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Feb 12, 2026
(Q4-2025)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 07, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The call balanced concrete growth initiatives (distribution gains, California expansion, strong innovation pipeline, productivity, and a $100M free cash flow target) against notable near-term headwinds (inflation, modest EBITDA expansion at midpoint, elevated leverage, D&A and SNAP disruption). Management presented a confident commercial plan but chose conservative guidance and emphasized flexibility to manage risks, resulting in a cautiously optimistic tone.Positive Updates
Top-Line Growth Delivered in 2025
Utz reported ~2.4% organic sales growth in the most recent year, outperforming a category that was down ~50 basis points (0.5%). Management highlighted positive category inflection in Q4 and into January.
Negative Updates
Modest EBITDA Margin Expansion Guidance
At the midpoint of 2026 guidance, management expects only ~40–50 basis points of EBITDA margin expansion (company cited this includes California investment), which is below some analysts' earlier expectations (~100 basis points).
Read all updates
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive
Negative
Top-Line Growth Delivered in 2025
Utz reported ~2.4% organic sales growth in the most recent year, outperforming a category that was down ~50 basis points (0.5%). Management highlighted positive category inflection in Q4 and into January.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
The company’s 2026 guidance calls for roughly 200–300 basis points of top‑line growth (about 2.0–3.0%, midpoint ~2.5%) while assuming a flat category at the midpoint, and it expects roughly 40–50 basis points of EBITDA margin expansion at the midpoint after accounting for California-related investment (management referenced both a $4–6M planned spend and a $46M California investment in the discussion). Management said productivity (analysts referenced ~ $40M of COGS productivity) will help offset abnormal inflation in ingredients, packaging and labor, noting 2025 included a ~1 percentage‑point price investment and Q1 will lap a bonus‑bag effect (~+3 pts price / −3 pts volume through Q1 into April). Financial cadence metrics called out on the call include D&A pressure that adds roughly $0.08 of EPS headwind year‑over‑year (CFO cited D&A ranges ($93–97M up to $113M) in the modeling discussion and a $37M line in the gross‑profit bridge), net leverage finishing 2025 at 3.4x with 2026 guidance of 3.0–3.2x (long‑term target 2.5–3.0x and expected deleveraging of ~0.3–0.4x per year), and a longer‑term free cash flow goal of $100M.UTZ Brands Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
46
Neutral
Balance Sheet
63
Positive
Cash Flow
41
Neutral
| Breakdown | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 1.44B | 1.41B | 1.44B | 1.41B | 1.18B |
| Gross Profit | 322.20M | 494.78M | 456.49M | 449.06M | 383.91M |
| EBITDA | 180.90M | 182.12M | 99.25M | 91.33M | 127.67M |
| Net Income | 800.00K | 15.97M | -24.94M | -392.00K | 20.55M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 2.79B | 2.73B | 2.75B | 2.84B | 2.72B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 120.40M | 56.14M | 52.02M | 72.93M | 41.90M |
| Total Debt | 1.17B | 940.82M | 985.34M | 992.46M | 909.01M |
| Total Liabilities | 1.45B | 1.34B | 1.36B | 1.39B | 1.28B |
| Stockholders Equity | 713.70M | 702.45M | 669.50M | 703.15M | 679.71M |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | 9.40M | 7.53M | 20.92M | -39.77M | 14.89M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 112.20M | 106.17M | 76.64M | 48.19M | 48.39M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -86.90M | 74.96M | -48.49M | -76.07M | -136.10M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 39.00M | -177.01M | -49.05M | 58.91M | 82.78M |
UTZ Brands Technical Analysis
Negative
7.71
Price Trends
9.00
Negative
9.51
Negative
11.11
Negative
Market Momentum
-0.35
Negative
41.76
Neutral
76.45
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For UTZ, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 7.71 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 7.67, below the 50-day MA of 9.00, and below the 200-day MA of 11.11, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.35 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 41.76 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 76.45 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for UTZ.
UTZ Brands Risk Analysis
UTZ Brands disclosed 38 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. UTZ Brands reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
UTZ Brands Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
64 Neutral | $1.51B | 491.43 | 6.48% | 3.53% | 0.54% | -24.42% | |
62 Neutral | $20.33B | 14.63 | -3.31% | 3.23% | 1.93% | -12.26% | |
62 Neutral | $1.31B | 19.23 | 5.04% | ― | 8.98% | -26.29% | |
62 Neutral | $1.36B | 11.70 | 5.35% | 5.40% | 1.44% | 8.29% | |
54 Neutral | $1.74B | 27.30 | 6.02% | 9.15% | 0.26% | -19.45% | |
48 Neutral | $1.11B | -91.27 | 0.11% | 2.51% | 1.22% | ― |
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
UTZ
UTZ Brands
7.71
-5.31
-40.78%
FLO
Flowers Foods
8.24
-8.63
-51.16%
JJSF
J & J Snack Foods
79.22
-49.56
-38.49%
SMPL
Simply Good Foods
14.16
-19.73
-58.22%
NOMD
Nomad Foods
9.58
-8.38
-46.65%
UTZ Brands Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Utz Brands Unveils Post-Transformation Growth and Margin Strategy
Positive
Feb 18, 2026
On February 18, 2026, Utz Brands used its appearance at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference to highlight its transition out of a capital‑intensive transformation phase and reaffirm its positioning as the largest pure‑play...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
Utz Brands Announces First Share Repurchase Program, Signals Confidence
Positive
Feb 12, 2026
On February 12, 2026, Utz Brands reported fiscal fourth-quarter 2025 net sales up 0.4% to $342.2 million and full-year 2025 net sales up 2.1% to $1.44 billion, with branded salty snacks organic growth of 2.5% in the quarter and 4.7% for the year. ...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Utz Brands Reports Strong 2025 Preliminary Results, Deleveraging
Positive
Jan 12, 2026
On January 12, 2026, Utz Brands announced preliminary, unaudited results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025, indicating modest top-line growth but stronger profit expansion and deleveraging. For Q4 2025, the company expects net sales of $34...
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.