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UTZ Brands (UTZ)
NYSE:UTZ
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UTZ Brands (UTZ) AI Stock Analysis

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UTZ

UTZ Brands

(NYSE:UTZ)

Rating:59Neutral
Price Target:
$14.00
▲(4.95% Upside)
UTZ Brands' overall score reflects solid revenue growth and strategic expansion efforts, tempered by profitability challenges and high valuation concerns. The earnings call provided a mixed outlook with strong growth potential but also highlighted risks from revised EPS guidance and increased expenses.
Positive Factors
Financial Performance
UTZ raised its organic sales outlook to growth of +2.5% or better and raised the low end of its adj. EBITDA outlook which is now growth of +7% to +10%.
Sales Growth
Utz's branded salty snacks business has grown retail sales a robust +3.7% YOY despite a salty snack category that has been down slightly YOY during this period.
Negative Factors
Earnings
UTZ reduced the midpoint of its EPS outlook to $0.83 from $0.86 with half of the decline driven by higher interest expense and the remainder from higher depreciation and amortization.
Market Reaction
Shares reacted negatively on the mechanical nature of lower EPS guidance and limited liquidity in the stock.
Valuation Concerns
Subdued organic growth and debt leverage are expected to weigh on the valuation multiple in an increasingly volatile macro environment.

UTZ Brands (UTZ) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

UTZ Brands Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionUTZ Brands, Inc. is a leading snack food company based in the United States, primarily known for its wide range of salty snacks, including potato chips, pretzels, cheese balls, and popcorn. Established in 1921, UTZ operates in the snack food sector and has built a strong portfolio of well-recognized brands, including Utz, Golden Flake, and Zapp's. The company focuses on quality and innovation, catering to consumer preferences for both traditional snacks and healthier options.
How the Company Makes MoneyUTZ Brands generates revenue through the sale of its snack products across various distribution channels, including grocery stores, convenience stores, and online retailers. The company's revenue model is primarily driven by the direct sales of its branded snack products, which are well-positioned in the market due to their strong brand recognition and loyalty. Key revenue streams include sales from their core product lines, promotional partnerships with retailers, and strategic marketing initiatives aimed at increasing brand visibility. Additionally, UTZ may benefit from economies of scale in production and distribution, enabling competitive pricing and improved margins. Collaborations with distributors and retailers further enhance their market reach, contributing significantly to their overall earnings.

UTZ Brands Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jul 31, 2025
(Q2-2025)
|
% Change Since: -4.24%|
Next Earnings Date:Nov 06, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
Utz Brands reported strong top line growth and productivity savings, driven by distribution gains and brand performance. However, the revision of EPS guidance and the subsequent stock price decline present challenges. Despite underperformance in some product categories, the company remains confident in its expansion and investment strategies.
Q2-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Top Line Results and Expansion
Utz Brands delivered strong top line results in the first half of the year, driven by significant increases in expansion market distribution points and infrastructure investments. The company saw volume and value share gains in core geographies and improvement in C-store performance.
Boulder Canyon Brand Growth
Boulder Canyon surpassed $100 million in revenue and continues to grow with distribution gains and increasing velocity. The brand's non-seed oil benefit and performance in natural channels are key drivers.
Productivity and Gross Margin Expansion
Utz Brands reported significant productivity savings with a forecast of $150 million plus, leading to gross margin expansion. The company is on track with its productivity and cost-saving initiatives.
Distribution Gains and Infrastructure Investment
Distribution gains were noted across core and expansion markets, with significant retailer support from national chains. Infrastructure investments facilitate expanded distribution and support top line momentum.
Household Penetration and Brand Support
Household penetration reached an all-time high of around 50%, with strong trial and repeat rates. The company increased marketing investments to support geographic expansion and brand building.
Negative Updates
EPS Guidance Revision
The EPS growth guidance was revised from 10-15% to 7-10%. This revision was due to increased interest expenses and accelerated depreciation related to higher CapEx spending.
Stock Price Decline
Following the earnings call, Utz Brands' stock price fell about 11% at the open, attributed to market reaction to the EPS guidance revision and concerns over interest and CapEx expenses.
Underperformance in Pretzels and Tortilla Chips
Subcategories like pretzels and tortilla chips underperformed compared to potato chips, with softer performance outside of the Utz brand and overlaps in merchandising impacting results.
SG&A Expenses Increase
SG&A expenses are expected to be modestly higher in the second half of the year due to investments in sales infrastructure for expansion and increased marketing spending during the peak summer season.
Company Guidance
In the second quarter 2025 earnings call, Utz Brands, Inc. provided guidance indicating an expectation of 8.5% EBITDA growth for the full year at the midpoint, with high-teens growth projected for the second half. The company highlighted several factors contributing to this outlook, including a significant step-up in gross margin anticipated in the third quarter, accelerated capital expenditures leading to productivity savings, and the impact of a plant closure. Additionally, the company revised its EPS growth guidance from 10-15% to 7-10%, attributing the change to increased interest expenses and accelerated depreciation due to higher CapEx spending. Despite these adjustments, Utz Brands expressed confidence in achieving its 2026 financial goals, supported by ongoing investments in distribution, robust top-line momentum, and strategic geographic expansion.

UTZ Brands Financial Statement Overview

Summary
UTZ Brands shows solid revenue growth and operational efficiency with healthy gross profit margins. However, profitability is limited due to low net profit margins and negative free cash flow, indicating cash management challenges.
Income Statement
72
Positive
UTZ Brands demonstrates steady revenue growth with a TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) revenue of $1.41 billion, showing a slight increase from the previous year. The gross profit margin remains healthy at 34.9%. However, the net profit margin is relatively low at 1.7%, indicating limited profitability after expenses. The EBIT and EBITDA margins at 3.9% and 9.2% respectively suggest moderate operational efficiency.
Balance Sheet
60
Neutral
The debt-to-equity ratio has improved significantly, dropping to 0.05 in the TTM period, which indicates reduced financial leverage. Return on Equity (ROE) at 3.2% shows low profitability relative to shareholder equity. The equity ratio is solid at 26.1%, reflecting a stable capital structure with a significant portion of assets financed by equity.
Cash Flow
55
Neutral
The company’s free cash flow has turned negative in the TTM period, signaling potential issues in maintaining cash reserves after capital expenses. The operating cash flow to net income ratio of 4.41 indicates strong cash generation relative to net income, yet the free cash flow to net income ratio is negative, highlighting cash outflows exceeding inflows.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.43B1.41B1.44B1.41B1.18B768.23M
Gross Profit495.48M494.78M456.49M449.06M383.91M253.80M
EBITDA145.80M182.12M99.25M91.33M127.67M-16.07M
Net Income18.12M15.97M-24.94M-392.00K20.55M-16.17M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets2.84B2.73B2.75B2.84B2.72B2.58B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments54.60M56.14M52.02M72.93M41.90M46.83M
Total Debt1.05B940.82M985.34M992.46M909.01M812.05M
Total Liabilities1.46B1.34B1.36B1.39B1.28B1.20B
Stockholders Equity731.20M702.45M669.50M703.15M679.71M552.91M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-13.54M7.53M20.92M-39.77M14.89M8.00M
Operating Cash Flow86.12M106.17M76.64M48.19M48.39M29.70M
Investing Cash Flow-106.71M74.96M-48.49M-76.07M-136.10M-115.88M
Financing Cash Flow16.77M-177.01M-49.05M58.91M82.78M231.52M

UTZ Brands Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price13.34
Price Trends
50DMA
13.34
Negative
100DMA
13.19
Positive
200DMA
14.00
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.14
Negative
RSI
51.57
Neutral
STOCH
71.88
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For UTZ, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 13.34 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 13.22, below the 50-day MA of 13.34, and below the 200-day MA of 14.00, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.14 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 51.57 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 71.88 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for UTZ.

UTZ Brands Risk Analysis

UTZ Brands disclosed 39 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

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
78
Outperform
$743.74M13.3817.25%2.23%3.79%-2.56%
69
Neutral
$2.31B10.227.88%4.23%0.87%8.59%
65
Neutral
$2.22B26.638.79%2.69%0.50%-4.46%
63
Neutral
$20.91B14.58-4.08%3.07%2.70%-8.71%
61
Neutral
$934.25M46.331.34%-1.52%
59
Neutral
$1.83B63.072.56%2.03%-0.09%316.21%
51
Neutral
$352.82M-35.36%16.59%-6.91%-83.51%
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
UTZ
UTZ Brands
13.34
-3.41
-20.36%
BGS
B&G Foods
4.58
-2.87
-38.52%
JJSF
J & J Snack Foods
115.96
-48.36
-29.43%
JBSS
John B Sanfilippo & Son
67.14
-24.54
-26.77%
THS
TreeHouse Foods
19.73
-20.63
-51.11%
NOMD
Nomad Foods
15.59
-2.37
-13.20%

UTZ Brands Corporate Events

Executive/Board ChangesBusiness Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Utz Brands Announces Leadership Change Effective August 2025
Neutral
Jul 31, 2025

Utz Brands announced a leadership change effective August 15, 2025, with Ryan Tewey becoming the Principal Accounting Officer, while William J. Kelley Jr. will continue as EVP and CFO. The company reported a 2.9% increase in net sales for Q2 2025, with a significant 5.4% rise in branded salty snacks sales. Despite a decrease in net income by 60.2%, Utz is optimistic about its growth strategy, raising its 2025 organic net sales outlook and continuing its supply chain transformation by consolidating manufacturing facilities, which is expected to generate cost savings and support geographic expansion.

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: Aug 23, 2025