Campbell's Co Q4 2026 earnings: sales miss, dividend cut, weak outlook
Campbell's topped adjusted profit estimates but missed on sales, posted a net loss, cut its dividend 36%, and guided to a weaker fiscal 2027.
| Q4 2026 | Reported | Expected | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPS | $0.39 | $0.39 | -0.5% |
| Revenue | $2.14B | $2.17B | -1.4% |
Key takeaways
- Adjusted profit of 39 cents per share came in essentially in line with what analysts expected, but revenue of $2.14 billion fell short of the roughly $2.17 billion forecast. On a strict accounting basis the company actually posted a net loss for the quarter, reflecting one-time charges tied to its restructuring plans.
- Total sales fell 8% from a year earlier, though much of that drop owed to last year’s quarter having an extra week; stripping that out, comparable sales were down about 1%.
- Results were split by category: the meals-and-beverages business (soups, broths, sauces) grew, while the snacks division (which includes brands like Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm cookies) continued to lose ground, dragging down the overall total.
- Profitability narrowed during the year — trailing twelve-month operating margin sits near 11%, well below gross margin of about 29%, underscoring how costs like inflation and promotional spending have been eating into what the company keeps after making its products.
- CEO Mick Beekhuizen called the results “unacceptable” and said the company would act now to rebuild margins and cut debt rather than wait for the business environment to improve.
- Campbell’s cut its quarterly dividend by 36%, to 25 cents a share, redirecting cash toward paying down debt; leverage currently stands at about 4.3 times earnings, with a goal of bringing it closer to 3 times.
- The company launched a new cost-cutting program targeting $500 million in savings by fiscal 2030, with more than $100 million expected to be realized in fiscal 2027 alone.
- Guidance for fiscal 2027 points to further declines: adjusted earnings per share of $1.65-$1.80 (down 17%-24% from fiscal 2026) and net sales down 2%-4%, as the company absorbs continued raw-material and packaging inflation.
- Shares fell sharply — down about 6-7% in premarket trading — as investors weighed the sales miss, dividend cut and soft outlook against the in-line adjusted profit figure.
How the stock took it
Campbell's Co closed at $23.78 on Sep 2, 2026, the last session before the report, and at $21.38 on Sep 4, 2026, the first session after it — -10.1% across the report.
Closes from the market's daily record. Each figure spans the report date — from the last session that closed before it to the first that closed after — because a company may report before the open or after the close.
Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 29.2% | Trailing 12 months |
| Operating margin | 11.3% | Trailing 12 months |
| Net profit margin | 6.1% | Trailing 12 months |
| Pretax margin | 8.0% | Trailing 12 months |
| EPS | $2.03 | Trailing 12 months |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -2.9% | Trailing 12 months |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 34.2% | Trailing 12 months |
| Return on equity | 15.3% | Trailing 12 months |
Sources: company report · earnings call · Investing.com