The Hanover, Pa.-based company saw its stock slide 19% to $9.02 following the announcement, extending a year-long decline that has wiped out more than a third of its market value. While Utz narrowly beat adjusted earnings expectations for the most recent quarter, investors focused on a grim multi-year forecast that predicts a 3% to 6% decline in adjusted earnings per share for 2026.

Rising Costs Cloud Long-Term Outlook

Management attributed the downward revision to approximately $13 million in projected headwinds, including escalating distribution and administrative expenses, rising interest costs, and a higher tax rate. This guidance caught analysts off guard; consensus estimates from FactSet had previously anticipated an 8.5% growth in earnings per share to 87 cents for the 2026 fiscal year.

The snack company’s fourth-quarter performance highlighted immediate fiscal pressures. Utz reported a net loss of $2.5 million, or 3 cents per share, swinging from a $2.3 million profit during the same period last year. Revenue for the quarter reached $342.2 million, missing the $343.4 million mark expected by the market, according to FactSet data.