ConAgra Brands Misses Q1 Estimates, Shares Drop 8%

ConAgra Brands (NYSE:CAG) reported disappointing first-quarter fiscal 2025 results, falling short of Wall Street expectations as the company faced inflationary pressures and temporary manufacturing disruptions. The stock dropped 8% intra-day today following the earnings announcement.

The food company posted earnings per share of $0.53, missing the Street consensus of $0.59. Revenue came in at $2.79 billion, below expectations of $2.84 billion and representing a 3.8% year-over-year decline.

ConAgra pointed to manufacturing disruptions during the crucial grilling season, estimating that these issues negatively impacted results by about $27 million. Additionally, the company faced challenges from rising costs and unfavorable operating leverage.

The company reaffirmed its full-year fiscal 2025 guidance, projecting organic net sales to be between -1.5% and flat compared to fiscal 2024, with an adjusted operating margin of 15.6% to 15.8% and adjusted EPS between $2.60 and $2.65.

Gross margin for the quarter fell by 189 basis points to 26.5%, with the Refrigerated & Frozen segment seeing the steepest decline. The segment's operating profit dropped 11.6% to $176 million.