John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. ($JBSS)

Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Operating Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your first speaker today, Jeffrey Sanfilippo, Chief Executive Officer. Please go ahead.

Thank you, Rica, and good morning, everyone, and welcome to our 2026 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call. Thank you for joining us. On the call with me today is Jasper Sanfilippo, our COO; and Frank Pellegrino, our CFO. We may make some forward-looking statements today. These statements are based on our current expectations, and they involve certain risks and uncertainties. The factors that could negatively impact results are explained in the various SEC filings that we've made, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q. We encourage you to refer to the filings to learn more about these risks and uncertainties that are inherent in our business. We delivered another strong quarter, achieving record top line sales growth, supported by our continued focus on driving volume across our 3 of our sales channels. Total volume was consistent with last year and the sequential quarter improvement is an early indication that our volume growth initiatives are beginning to gain traction. In particular, we are very encouraged by the improved performance in our commercial ingredients and contract manufacturing channels this quarter. Our diversified multi-channel sales model serving at-home consumer demand, away from home food service customers and strategic contract manufacturing partnerships continues to be a competitive advantage, positioning us to capture growth opportunities wherever they emerge in the marketplace. The strategic channel mix enables us to quickly adapt to shifting consumption patterns and consistently deliver results across a wide range of end markets. We're actively pursuing new volume-driving opportunities, leveraging our new and existing capabilities and advancing the onboarding of a new strategic customer in the contract manufacturing channel. In all my years as CEO, I've never seen a more productive period with our sales, marketing and R&D teams presenting new programs at customers across every channel in our organization, consumer, commercial ingredient and contract manufacturing. The energy among our teams is incredible as they showcase new products and share our growing capabilities. These meetings include important innovation sessions, we are building out a future pipeline of new products for our key partners and our brands. Like other snack food companies, our third quarter performance was impacted by a challenging macroeconomic and consumer environment. It is important to note that our volume was stable in our third quarter. I'm proud of the efforts of our teams throughout the organization to provide exceptional service to our customers and consumers and provide differentiated products and value solutions. Our performance underscores our strategic priority to execute on our long-range plan and adapt our strategies to meet evolving consumer needs. Yesterday, our Board of Directors met at our headquarters in Elgin, Illinois. We spent the morning discussing the investments we are making in our bar manufacturing capabilities, and we took a tour of the new equipment installation in the plant. It is an extraordinary operation, and this investment is transforming our business and will provide enormous growth opportunities for JBSS. Our teams are so proud of what we are building at our headquarters. We plan to host an Investor Day sometime in October this year. It will be a chance for stockholders to see and experience a transformation of our company. This historic investment in production equipment and infrastructure in our facilities reflects our confidence in investing in domestic manufacturing here. We do have headwinds we continue to face. Although U.S. customs launched a new electronic system to handle tariff refund claims, there's no telling how quickly customs can process the backlog. We're engaging with the 20 suppliers, which account for 90% of our total tariff surcharges, and we are monitoring progress. And there's still uncertainty as to how our customers will respond. And global events continue to create unfavorable conditions for elevated fuel prices, along with increased costs for other related materials. Our procurement team is doing an exceptional job monitoring this volatile situation, assessing alternative suppliers where possible and working to mitigate supply chain and cost disruptions. As I've mentioned on previous earnings calls, our business model, the foundation of our company remains important to our success as we adapt to changing macroeconomic conditions and evolving consumer demand. Diversification is a key element of that model, both across our business channels and customer base and across our product portfolio. The investments we've made in the snack, energy and protein-forward bar category expands our reach with existing customers and consumers, also opening opportunities for new demand. This is JBSS executing our long-range growth plan. A second element of our business model that allows us to quickly adapt to changing macroeconomic conditions and evolving consumer demand is our investments in consumer insights and innovation. For example, we know value is a top driver of private label choice. However, different consumers prioritize different value dimensions from convenience and quality to sustainability, experience and trust. Our insights team digs deeper to understand consumer behavior in our categories and the insights guide our R&D and business development efforts. We are monitoring how wellness, functional and lifestyle-led innovations are driving private label growth in snacks and consumers increasingly trust private brands for quality, clean ingredients and sustainability, especially Gen Z and millennials. As a result, our focus with customers is to continue and accelerate wellness-oriented and premium innovation. We will also strengthen our digital product data and sustainability claims. And we will continue to leverage seasonal and limited time offers that add excitement to the snack category and deepen our collaborative partnerships. A third important factor supporting our business model is our investment in our people. With the fast-paced use of AI technology, we have to adjust workforce skills necessary to be successful. Our human resources and IT departments, along with functional leaders across our organization are assessing how to optimize our teams and equip them with the tools and skills for a more digital future with AI and automation reshaping job roles in our offices and in our manufacturing facilities. I will now turn the call over to Frank to discuss our financial performance.

Thank you, Jeffrey. Starting with the income statement. Net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 increased by 8% to $281.8 million compared to net sales of $260.9 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The increase in net sales was due to 8.3% increase in the weighted average sales price per pound. Sales volume remained essentially flat. In particular, sales volume declined for substantially all major product types, while sales volume increased for walnuts, pecans and mixed nuts. The increase in the weighted average selling price reflected pricing actions taken in response to higher commodity acquisition costs for all major tree nuts and peanuts as well as a shift in product mix toward higher-priced items in the current third quarter. Sales volume decreased 4.5% in the consumer distribution channel, primarily driven by a 5.3% decline in private brand sales, reflecting lower volume in private label bars, while nuts and trail mix sales volume remained relatively flat. Bar sales were impacted by continued category softness at a mass merchandise retailer, consistent with the trends seen in our most recent second quarter. Our strategic decision to reduce sales to a grocery store retailer also contributed to the overall decline in bar volume. Sales of nuts and trail mix were negatively impacted by elevated retail prices, reduced promotional activity and discontinuation of underperforming items. These impacts were largely offset by new private branded walnut distribution at an existing grocery retailer and increased sales resulting from promotional pricing on walnuts and peanuts at an online retailer. Lastly, branded sales benefited from limited opportunistic orders for Orchard Valley Harvest to a customer in the non-food sector. Sales volume increased 14.3% in the commercial ingredients channel, mainly driven by higher food service sales volume at new and existing customers. In addition, increased sales of peanut crushing stock contributed to the overall growth in the quarterly comparison. Sales volume in the contract manufacturing channel increased 16.5% due to increased snack nut sales to a significant customer as we continue onboarding this customer added during the second quarter of the prior year. This increase was partially offset by decreased granola sales volume. Gross profit decreased by $2.1 million or 3.8% to $53.8 million compared to the third quarter of last year, driven by significantly lower inventory valuation adjustments compared to the prior year, partially offset by higher net sales. Gross profit margin decreased to 19.1% of net sales compared to 21.4% for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 due to the reasons previously mentioned. Total operating expenses increased by $2.3 million compared to the prior year's third quarter, driven by higher incentive compensation expenses, partially offset by lower compensation costs, lower rent expense and a gain on the sale of non-core equipment. Total operating expenses as a percentage of net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 remained unchanged at 10.6% compared to the prior year comparable quarter. Interest expense was $500,000 for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 compared to $1.1 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, due to lower average line of credit levels. Net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 was $16.8 million or $1.43 per diluted share compared to $20.2 million or $1.72 per diluted share for the third quarter of fiscal 2025. Now taking a look at inventory. The total value of inventories on hand at the end of the current third quarter decreased $5.2 million or 2% compared to the total value of inventories on hand at the end of the prior year comparable quarter. The decrease was primarily due to lower commodity acquisition costs for walnuts and peanuts, as well as lower on-hand quantities of pecans, walnuts and almonds. These reductions were partially offset by the impact of higher pecan acquisition costs and increased on-hand quantities of peanuts. The weighted average cost per pound of raw nut and dried fruit input stock on hand increased 10.5% year-over-year, mainly due to the reasons noted previously. Moving on to year-to-date results. Net sales for the first three quarters of the current year increased 6.8% to $895.2 million compared to first three quarters of fiscal 2025. The increase in net sales was primarily attributable to an 11% increase in the average weighted selling price per pound, which was partially offset by a 3.7% decrease in sales volume. The sales volume decrease was due to lower sales volume in the consumer channel, partially offset by year-to-date growth in commercial ingredients channel. Gross profit increased 18.7% of net sales compared to 18.5% in the prior period. The increase was mainly attributable to aligning our pricing more closely with commodity acquisition costs, the absence of a one-time pricing concession recognized in the prior period and the factors noted previously. Total operating expenses for the current year remained essentially flat at $90.3 million compared to the prior year's first three quarters. Interest expense was $2 million for the first three quarters of fiscal 2026 compared to $2.3 million for the first three quarters of fiscal 2025. Net income for the first three quarters of fiscal 2026 was $53.5 million or $4.55 per diluted share compared to net income of $45.4 million or $3.87 per diluted share for the first three quarters of fiscal 2025. Please refer to our Form 10-Q for additional details regarding our financial performance for our third quarter of fiscal 2026. Now I'll turn the call over to Jeffrey to provide additional comments.

Thanks, Frank, for the financial updates. Now I'll turn to category updates. I'll share category and brand results for the quarter. All the market information I'll be referring to is Circana's panel data, and for today, it is the period ending March 22, 2026. When I refer to Q3, I'm referring to 12 weeks of the quarter ending March 22, 2026. References to changes in volume versus the corresponding period 1 year ago. For pricing commentary, we are using Circana's MULO scan data, and we are referring to average price per pound. We're using the nut, trail mix and bar syndicated views of the category as defined by Circana. In the third quarter, we continue to see modest growth in the broader snack aisle as defined by Circana. Volume and dollars were up 0.5% and 5%, respectively. This is consistent with the performance we saw in Q2. In Q3, the snack nut and trail mix category was down 6% in volume and up 1% in dollars, which is an acceleration of the volume softness we saw last quarter. Snack nut prices rose 8% with increases across nearly all nut types. Prices rose 6% for trail mixes. Orchard Valley Harvest brand, which primarily plays in trail mix, was up 33% in pound shipments during Q3. The launch of an innovative platform paired with additional shipments to a specialty retailer drove this healthy increase. Our Southern Style Nuts brand performed similarly to the category, a 6% decrease in pound shipments, driven by softness primarily in our e-commerce channel. Fisher's snack nut and trail mix performed worse in the category with pound shipments down 8%. Fisher's performance was due to less promotional activity paired with the broader category headwinds. Our private label consumer snack and trail shipments performed similar to the category with pound shipments down 4% versus last year. Now let me turn to the recipe nut category. In Q3, the recipe nut category was up 5% in pounds and up 17% in dollars, driven by growth in private label as a discount retailer is expanding store counts. The recipe category experienced a 11% price increase, driven by increases in both walnuts and pecans. Our Fisher recipe pound shipments were down 8% in Q3 due to slower velocities among grocery retailers. Now I'll switch to the bar category. In Q3, the bar category grew by 2% in pounds and 6% in dollars, driven by branded player growth in the protein segment of the category. Private label was flat in pounds and down 1% in dollars. Our private label bar shipments were down 17% versus a year ago due to softness at a major mass merchandiser. In closing, we remain attentive to category trends and continue to monitor consumer sentiment, which is showing early signs of stabilizing. At the same time, we recognize that rising global tensions in certain key regions and the resulting impact on energy prices and supply chain dynamics are contributing to ongoing uncertainty. I am confident in the strategic investments we have made in our people, our customers and capabilities to overcome these challenges and deliver strong operating results. Our company will maintain an agile mindset as we move forward. Furthermore, we will continue to rigorously pursue opportunities to enhance internal efficiencies and drive long-term customer and shareholder value. Our company and our team of dedicated leaders and associates throughout the organization remains steadfast and strong. We have always adapted quickly to overcome headwinds. And our insights, innovation, R&D, marketing, sales and operations teams are laser-focused on consumer behavior and consumption trends to develop new products, pursue new opportunities and support increased demand from our private brand retail partners. We have the right strategies, talent and commitment to quality and service to continue to grow and provide exceptional value and innovation to our customers and consumers. We appreciate your participation in the call, and thank you for your interest in our company. I will now turn the call back over to Rica open the line to open the line for.

[Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from the line of Hamed Khorsand from BWS Financial.

I just wanted to ask you about how you're moving on a standpoint of adding capacity in the bars? And do you need to add capacity in bars right now?

Sure, Hamed. This is Jasper. The installation of the line is 90% done with the processing and the packaging side of it. Currently, the bulk of the work left is building out our kitchens and then auxilliary support like dust collection, both liquid storage as well as bulk life storage. As it relates to the capacity, we do have a pretty large spike for back-to-school. And so currently, I would say, 9 months out of the year, we don't need to add additional capacity for the mainstream type of bars, which would be fruit and grain and Chewy type of bars. We're actively working with our protein bar line to gain additional distribution. We do have some kit protein bars will enter the market within the next 4 to 6 weeks at a major retailer. And the sales team continues to remain focused on still building out our mainstream bars to fill up some capacity as well as get our protein platform moving at retailers. As you know, the protein category is growing faster than obviously the mainstream bar category is. It's also a margin accretive relative to the mainstream bars. So the team is laser-focused on getting those offerings out into market.

And then as far as this large customer that you were just talking about this quarter ramping for you, does it matter as far as the volume, how it ships for you, if it's between the retail segment or if it's through the contract manufacturing here.

It does not -- this is Frank comment. It does not.

Okay. So you're just -- moving volumes around and just pocketing the dollars

Correct. Okay. And every customer has a different channel classification.

Got it. And then looking out to fiscal '27, where do you stand as far as new customers go? Are they still on the cusp of coming on?

So one of our goals, Hamed, is to diversify our customer base. We are -- got some important customer concentration that we're looking to diversify. So the teams are working hard with retailers across the consumer channel, but also the focus, as we touched on earlier, was the contract manufacturing and the commercial ingredient channel. A lot of opportunities for new customers in those channels as well. And so the teams are working across channels to diversify, add new customers. In addition, we're looking at retailers that we currently work with, but don't work in every department. For example, pharmaceutical would be one that we do very little business in today, but there are snacks in the pharmaceutical departments. And so not only diversifying customers, but also the segments within customers that we already have.

[Operator Instructions] I am showing no further questions at this time. I would now like to turn it back to Jeffrey Sanfilippo for closing remarks.

Well, thank you, everyone, for participating in the call today and for your support of JBSS. We appreciate your support and look forward to announcing our Q4 in the next couple of months. Have a great day.

Thank you for your participation in today's conference. This does conclude the program. You may now disconnect.