Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - First quarter net sales increased by $5 million, including a $24 million favorable impact from foreign currency translation, but declined 1% on a constant currency basis [15] - Volume increased by 6%, driven by customer wins and retention, primarily in North America and Asia [15] - Adjusted EBITDA was essentially flat at $302 million, with the favorable impact from currency translation offset by higher local currency expenses [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America net sales declined 2% compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower net selling prices, with price/mix declining 7% and volume increasing 5% [17] - International segment net sales increased 4%, including a favorable $24 million impact from foreign currency translation, with volume growing 6% and price/mix declining 6% [17] - Adjusted EBITDA in North America declined 6% to $260 million, while international segment adjusted EBITDA increased by $6 million to $57 million [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Restaurant traffic in the U.S. was flat, with QSR hamburger traffic down low single digits, while QSR chicken traffic was up [16][78] - Internationally, traffic was mixed, with the U.K. down 4% but other markets like France and Germany showing slight increases [78] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is executing its new strategic plan, "Focus to Win," aiming for profitable growth through category-leading innovation and customer-centric actions [4][5] - The company is prioritizing specific markets and products where it has a sustainable competitive advantage [7] - New innovative products are set to launch in the fall, including flavor-forward offerings and artisanal fries [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted positive customer momentum and strong volume growth, with expectations for continued growth in both segments [4][26] - The company anticipates challenges in price/mix due to strong crop yields and competitive actions, particularly in Latin America [18][26] - Management reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook, expecting revenue in the range of $6.35 billion to $6.55 billion [25][26] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with approximately $1.4 billion of liquidity and generated $352 million of cash from operations [23] - Capital expenditures for the quarter declined to $79 million, with expectations of approximately $500 million for fiscal 2026 [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Restarting a curtailed production line and industry capacity - Management indicated the restart was necessary to meet demand signals and maintain customer fill rates, noting that some announced industry capacity may be delayed or canceled [36][37] Question: Price/mix expectations for the first half of the fiscal year - Management expects a mid to high single-digit decrease in price/mix for the first half, moderating in the back half of the year [39] Question: Gross margin commentary and seasonal increases - Management confirmed that the North America segment will see a seasonal increase, but input cost inflation will also impact margins [45] Question: Tariff exposure and guidance - Most tariff exposure relates to imports of palm oil, with an expected annualized impact of about $25 million [47] Question: Customer wins and profitability - Management refrained from discussing specific profitability on new customers but emphasized that pricing aligns with expectations [100] Question: Capital expenditures outlook - Management indicated that the $500 million capital expenditure plan is in line with expectations for maintenance and environmental projects [101]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - First quarter net sales increased by $5 million, including a $24 million favorable impact from foreign currency translation, but declined 1% on a constant currency basis [15] - Volume increased by 6%, driven by customer wins and retention, primarily in North America and Asia [15] - Adjusted EBITDA was essentially flat at $302 million, with the favorable impact from currency translation offset by higher local currency expenses [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America net sales declined 2% compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower net selling prices, with price/mix declining 7% and volume increasing 5% [17] - International segment net sales increased 4%, including a favorable $24 million impact from foreign currency translation, with volume growing 6% and price/mix declining 6% [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Restaurant traffic in the U.S. was flat, with QSR hamburger traffic down low single digits, while QSR chicken traffic was up [16][78] - Internationally, traffic was mixed, with the U.K. down 4% but other markets like France and Germany showing slight increases [78] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is executing its new strategic plan, "Focus to Win," aiming for profitable growth through category-leading innovation and customer-centric actions [4][5] - The company is prioritizing specific markets and products where it has a sustainable competitive advantage [7] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the industry is rational regarding capacity, with some announced capacity not moving forward as planned [36] - The company expects continued pressure on price/mix due to a strong crop and competitive actions, particularly in Latin America [18] Other Important Information - The company is on track to achieve at least $250 million of annual run-rate savings by fiscal year-end 2028 [5] - Capital expenditures for the quarter declined to $79 million, with expectations of approximately $500 million for fiscal 2026 [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Restarting a curtailed production line and supply-demand imbalance - Management indicated the restart was necessary to meet demand signals and maintain customer fill rates, noting that not all new capacity announcements will proceed as planned [36][37] Question: Price/mix expectations for the first fiscal half - Management expects a mid to high single-digit decrease in price/mix for the first half, moderating to low to mid in the back half of the year [39] Question: Gross margin commentary for North America - Management confirmed a seasonal increase in North America, with input cost inflation expected to rise in Q2 but benefits from lower potato prices also anticipated [45] Question: Tariff exposure - Most tariff exposure relates to imports of palm oil and other ingredients, with an annualized expectation of about $25 million [47] Question: New customer wins and profitability - Management refrained from discussing specific profitability on new customers but emphasized that pricing aligns with the P&L moving forward [100] Question: Capital expenditures outlook - Management indicated that the $500 million capital expenditure for the year is in line with expectations for maintenance and environmental projects [101]

Financial Performance - Net sales were $1659 million, flat compared to Q1 F25, but down 1% at constant currency[14, 26] - Adjusted diluted EPS was $074, a decrease of 5% compared to Q1 F25[14] - Adjusted EBITDA increased by 1% to $302 million[14, 15] - Free cash flow was $273 million[14] Volume and Pricing - Overall volume increased by 6%[15] - Price/mix decreased by 7% in constant currency[15] - North America volume increased by 5%, while price/mix decreased by 7%[28] - International volume increased by 6%, while price/mix decreased by 6% in constant currency[28] Strategic Initiatives and Outlook - The company is implementing "Focus to Win" program, including a Cost Savings Program[11] - Capital expenditures for FY26 are forecasted to be approximately $500 million[40] - The company reaffirms its fiscal 2026 outlook, with net sales projected between $635 billion and $655 billion, and adjusted EBITDA between $10 billion and $12 billion[11, 47] Cash Flow and Capital Allocation - The company has approximately $99 million in cash and equivalents and $13 billion available under its revolving credit facility[39] - Net debt is approximately $39 billion, with a net debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio of 31x[39] - The company returned $62 million to shareholders, including $52 million in dividends and $10 million in share repurchases[40]

Core Insights - Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. is a leader in the global frozen foods industry, specializing in frozen potato products, particularly fries and appetizers, serving major foodservice and quick-service restaurant clients primarily in North America and select global markets [1] Group 1: Strategic Initiatives - The company is experiencing benefits from customer wins and strong retention rates, driven by its "Focus to Win" strategic plan aimed at cost savings and working capital improvements to enhance profitability [2] - Lamb Weston is committed to ongoing product innovations, introducing items like fridge-friendly fries and premium potato bites to meet evolving consumer preferences [3] Group 2: Market Dynamics - Evolving market dynamics, such as the growth in food delivery, enhanced QSR concepts, and the rising popularity of air fryers, are creating new opportunities for innovation [4] - Management anticipates that customers will continue to prioritize french fries on menus and at home, with expectations for global restaurant traffic to remain steady through fiscal 2025 [4] Group 3: Financial Performance - Lamb Weston shares have declined by 18.6% year to date, compared to a 5.4% dip in the industry [5] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 17.62X, higher than the industry average of 15.87X [6] Group 4: Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lamb Weston's fiscal 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year decline of 10.5%, while fiscal 2027 shows a growth of 16.4% [10] - The most recent consensus estimates for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 have been revised downward in the past 30 days [10]

Financial Performance - Lamb Weston's Q4 F25 net sales increased by 4% to $1,676 million compared to Q4 F24 [16, 43] - Full Year 2025 net sales reached $6,451 million [19] - Q4 F25 adjusted EBITDA increased by 1% to $285 million compared to Q4 F24 [16] - Full Year 2025 adjusted EBITDA decreased by 14% to $1,221 million compared to FY24 [19] - Lamb Weston forecasts capital expenditures of approximately $500 million for FY26 [53, 66] Volume and Pricing - Q4 F25 volume increased by 8%, while price/mix decreased by 4% [17] - Full Year 2025 volume increased by 2%, while price/mix decreased by 2% [19] - North America volume increased by 4% in Q4 F25, while price/mix decreased by 5% [44] - International volume increased by 16% in Q4 F25, while price/mix decreased by 1% [44] Cost Savings and Restructuring - Lamb Weston delivered approximately $60 million of pre-tax cost savings in FY25 and is on track for $85 million in FY26 [19, 36] - The company is targeting at least $250 million in annualized run rate savings by the end of fiscal year 2028 [35] Liquidity and Capital Allocation - Lamb Weston returned $489 million to shareholders in FY25, including $207 million in dividends and $282 million in share repurchases [53, 56] - The company had approximately $71 million in cash and equivalents and $12 billion availability under its revolving credit facility [53] Fiscal 2026 Outlook - Lamb Weston projects net sales between $635 billion and $655 billion for fiscal year 2026 [66] - The company anticipates adjusted EBITDA between $10 billion and $12 billion for fiscal year 2026 [66, 71]