Tyson Foods Reports First Quarter 2026 Results

Core Insights - Tyson Foods, Inc. reported a sales increase of 5.1% year-over-year, reaching $14,313 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, despite a $150 million increase in legal contingency accruals impacting sales [5][6] - The company experienced a significant decline in operating income, with GAAP operating income down 48% to $302 million and adjusted operating income down 13% to $572 million compared to the previous year [5][6] - Net income per share attributable to Tyson decreased by 76% to $0.24, while adjusted net income per share fell 15% to $0.97 [5][6] Financial Performance - Sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 were $14,313 million, compared to $13,623 million in fiscal 2025, marking a 5.1% increase [5][6] - GAAP operating income was $302 million, down from $580 million in the prior year, resulting in a GAAP operating margin of 2.1% [5][6] - Adjusted operating income was $572 million, down from $659 million, with an adjusted operating margin of 4.0% [5][6] Segment Performance - Beef segment sales decreased by 7.3% to $5,771 million, while the average price increased by 17.2% [4][6] - Pork segment sales were $1,609 million, up 1.6%, with both volume and average price increasing by 1.6% [4][6] - Chicken segment sales rose by 3.7% to $4,212 million, with a slight decrease in average price by 0.1% [4][6] - Prepared Foods segment sales increased by 0.2% to $2,673 million, with an average price increase of 7.9% [4][6] Outlook for Fiscal 2026 - The USDA projects a 1% increase in domestic protein production for fiscal 2026 compared to fiscal 2025 [11] - Tyson anticipates total company adjusted operating income between $2.1 billion and $2.3 billion for fiscal 2026 [18] - Sales are expected to grow by 2% to 4% in fiscal 2026 compared to fiscal 2025 [19] - Capital expenditures are projected to be between $0.7 billion and $1.0 billion, focusing on profit improvement and maintenance projects [20] Liquidity and Cash Flow - As of December 27, 2025, the company reported liquidity of $4.5 billion, expected to remain above the minimum target of $1.0 billion [22] - Free cash flow is anticipated to be between $1.1 billion and $1.7 billion for fiscal 2026 [23]