EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With a mission to positively impact human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources and animal welfare, Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND), a leader in plant-based meat, today released its 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report and its Beyond Burger IV Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, and announced its first-time submission to CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project). As part of its approach to corporate responsibility, the company conti ...

The plant-based meat company is 99.5% off its all-time high.Beyond Meat (BYND 2.38%) stock enjoyed a steep surge earlier this year, fueled by retail investor enthusiasm and social media interest. But as we approach the end of 2025, it's down 68% year to date and down 99.5% from its all-time high. Rounded off, that would be 100%, of course, but the company is still drawing breath and hanging on.At this point, there are only seven Wall Street analysts covering Beyond Meat, and most of them expect the stock to ...

Core Viewpoint - Beyond Meat has significantly underperformed the S&P 500 since its IPO, losing over 99% of its value in the past five years, while the S&P 500 gained 84% during the same period [2][3]. Performance Overview - Beyond Meat's stock surged post-IPO in 2019 but has since faced a disastrous decline, with a 93% drop over the last three years and an 83% decline in the past year [2][3]. - The S&P 500 has outperformed Beyond Meat by 183 percentage points over five years, 158 percentage points over three years, and 94 percentage points in the last year [2][3]. Market Demand and Competition - Demand for plant-based meat alternatives in the U.S. has faltered post-pandemic, with retail sales of refrigerated plant-based burgers dropping 26% year-over-year [4]. - Beyond Meat's products lack differentiation in a crowded market, leading to diminished pricing power as consumers turn away from the category [5]. Financial Performance - In the third quarter, Beyond Meat reported a 13.3% revenue decline, a gross margin of 10.3%, and a net loss of $110.7 million on sales of $70.2 million [6]. - The company's guidance for the fourth quarter anticipates revenue between $60 million and $65 million, indicating ongoing struggles [6]. Stock Market Activity - Beyond Meat's stock has experienced volatility, including a plunge after a convertible debt exchange and a brief spike during a "meme stock" rally, followed by another decline [8]. - The current stock price is $0.86, with a market cap of $0 billion and a gross margin of 5.98% [7].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total net revenues decreased by 13.3% to $70.2 million in Q3 2025 compared to $81 million in the year-ago period, primarily driven by a 10.3% decrease in the volume of products sold and a 3.3% decrease in net revenue per pound [20][21] - Gross margin fell to 10.3% in Q3 2025 from 17.7% in the year-ago period, impacted by lower volumes and higher trade discounts [8][26] - Net loss was $110.7 million in Q3 2025 compared to $26.6 million in the year-ago period, with net loss per common share increasing to $1.44 from $0.41 [30][31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. retail net revenues decreased by 18.4% to $28.5 million, driven by a 12.6% decrease in volume and a 6.6% decrease in net revenue per pound [23] - U.S. food service net revenues decreased by 27.3% to $10.5 million, primarily due to a 27.1% decrease in volume [24] - International retail net revenues decreased by 4.6% to $15.8 million, with a 12.5% decrease in volume partially offset by a 9.1% increase in net revenue per pound [24][25] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The plant-based meat category continues to face general softness, with two of the top three markets in the EU also experiencing year-over-year declines [22] - The U.S. market is seeing reduced points of distribution and weak category demand, impacting overall sales [22][23] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a turnaround strategy, including addressing misinformation about plant-based meats, rebuilding distribution, and reducing operating expenses [10][15][17] - New product innovations, such as Beyond Chicken Pieces and the Beyond Test Kitchen, are aimed at enhancing consumer engagement and product visibility [11][12][14] - The company is targeting a gross profit margin of over 30% and aims to achieve EBITDA-positive operations as soon as possible [31][40] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed disappointment with the current quarter's results but emphasized ongoing efforts to reset the business for sustainable growth [6][19] - The macroeconomic environment remains challenging, making it difficult to forecast operating results beyond a limited horizon [33] - The company anticipates net revenues in Q4 2025 to be in the range of $60 million to $65 million, reflecting ongoing demand weakness [33] Other Important Information - The company successfully reduced debt levels by approximately $900 million, nearly 75% of total leverage, and extended the maturity of most of its debt profile [6][34] - Cash and cash equivalents were $131.1 million as of September 27, 2025, with net cash used in operating activities increasing to $98.1 million for the nine months ended September 27, 2025 [31][32] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is currently holding the company back from achieving higher gross profit margins? - Management indicated that lower top-line revenue is the main drag on margins, along with higher material costs and the impact of a depreciation charge related to China operations [38][39] Question: Can you provide an update on the cash balance following recent financing activities? - Management noted that the cash balance would include proceeds from the ATM program, but specific figures could not be provided at that time [41][42]

Core Insights - Beyond Meat reported third-quarter net revenue of $70.2 million, a decrease of 13.3% year-over-year, but exceeded the Street consensus estimate of $68.96 million [1][2] - The revenue decline was attributed to a 10.3% decrease in product volume sold and a 3.5% decrease in net revenue per pound, driven by weak category demand [2] - The company reported a loss of 47 cents per share, missing the Street consensus estimate of a loss of 31 cents per share [2] Revenue Breakdown - Revenue from US retail was $28.5 million, down 18.4% year-over-year [7] - Revenue from US foodservice was $10.5 million, down 27.3% year-over-year [7] - International retail revenue was $15.8 million, down 4.6% year-over-year, while international foodservice revenue was $15.3 million, up 2.3% year-over-year [7] Future Guidance and Strategic Initiatives - The company is guiding for fourth-quarter net revenue in the range of $60 million to $65 million, below the Street consensus estimate of $70.0 million [5] - Beyond Meat is focusing on cost reductions, expanding gross margin through investments, and pursuing strategic growth initiatives to achieve sustainable operations [5][4] - Recent financing transactions included the exchange of 2027 convertible notes and an at-the-market offering, aimed at reducing overall leverage and extending debt maturity [3][4]

Group 1 - Beyond Meat does not have a single buy rating from Wall Street analysts, indicating a bearish sentiment towards the stock with a mix of hold, underperform, and sell ratings [1][8] - The company is facing significant challenges due to a lack of competitive advantage in a crowded market, leading to declining sales and market share [4][9] - In the third quarter of 2025, Beyond Meat expects to report sales of $70 million with a gross margin of around 11%, a significant drop from $106.4 million in the same quarter of 2021 with a gross margin of 21.6% [5] Group 2 - The demand for plant-based meat has weakened, and competition has intensified, resulting in a collapse in sales for Beyond Meat [3][9] - The company's new product launches, such as a jerky product, have failed to reignite sales, and the current strategy is focused on cost-cutting measures [6] - In the second quarter, Beyond Meat's U.S. retail channel experienced a 24.2% volume decrease and a 3.2% decline in revenue per pound, highlighting the struggles the company faces in maintaining sales [9]

Core Insights - Beyond Meat has launched its latest Beyond Burger (Beyond IV) at all Hard Rock Cafe locations in North America, allowing customers to swap any beef burger for the plant-based option [1][2][7] - The collaboration aims to cater to plant-based and health-conscious consumers, enhancing menu versatility at Hard Rock Cafe [2][4] Company Overview - Beyond Meat, Inc. is a leading plant-based meat company founded in 2009, focusing on creating products that mimic the taste and texture of animal-based meat while being healthier and environmentally friendly [4] - The company emphasizes its commitment to using simple ingredients without GMOs, added hormones, or antibiotics, and offers products with 0mg of cholesterol per serving [4] Product Details - The new Beyond Burger is made from clean plant-based ingredients, including protein from peas, brown rice, red lentils, and faba beans, providing 20g of protein per 4oz serving, with only 2g of saturated fat [2][8] - The burger features a beefy flavor and high smoke point due to avocado oil, designed to caramelize and sizzle effectively [8] Strategic Partnership - The partnership with Hard Rock Cafe is expected to expand the reach of Beyond Meat's products to a broader audience, combining Hard Rock's culinary reputation with Beyond's plant-based offerings [2][4]

Core Insights - Beyond Meat experienced significant stock volatility in October, initially declining due to a convertible debt exchange that led to substantial dilution, followed by a brief rally fueled by a distribution deal with Walmart, and ultimately ending the month down 12.4% [1][5][6] Group 1: Stock Performance - On October 17, Beyond Meat announced an early settlement of $1.15 billion in convertible senior notes, resulting in existing shareholders facing approximately 81% dilution of outstanding shares [3] - Following the dilution, the stock surged around 1,600% from its lows due to a meme stock rally, which was further supported by a deal to expand product availability at over 2,000 Walmart stores [4] - The stock's gains were short-lived, as preliminary results revealed a projected third-quarter revenue of around $70 million, with a gross margin of only 10% to 11%, leading to a significant decline in stock price [5][6] Group 2: Financial Outlook - Beyond Meat's third-quarter revenue is expected to be down about 14% year-over-year and down 34% from Q3 2021, indicating challenges in standing out in a competitive plant-based meat market [6] - The company anticipates operating expenses between $41 million and $43 million, resulting in an operating loss of approximately $34 million for the quarter [8] - Beyond Meat announced a delay in its quarterly earnings report due to the need for additional time to address a material non-cash impairment charge related to long-lived assets [8]

Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) - Recent technological advancements have led to a surge in QCi's stock price, increasing over 1,000% in the last year, driven by optimism in the quantum computing sector [2] - Despite the stock price increase, QCi's fundamentals are weak, with a second-quarter revenue drop of approximately 67% year-over-year to $61 million and operating losses nearly doubling to $10.2 million [6] - The company's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio exceeds 9,000, significantly higher than the S&P 500 average of 3.5, indicating that investors may be overpaying for the stock [6] - QCi has a history of business model changes, initially starting in inkjet cartridges, then beverage distribution, and finally pivoting to quantum computing in 2018 [4] - Analysts project the quantum computing industry could reach a valuation of $100 billion in a decade, presenting potential opportunities for early movers like QCi [5] Beyond Meat - Beyond Meat's shares have plummeted by 97% since its IPO in 2019, reflecting a poor track record in generating sustainable shareholder value [7] - Despite a recent speculative surge where shares jumped over 1,000% in four days, the company's fundamentals remain weak, making it unlikely to sustain this momentum [7] - The second-quarter net revenue fell by roughly 20% year-over-year to $75 million, attributed to declining U.S. retail demand, while operating losses reached $32.9 million [10] - Beyond Meat's cash and equivalents totaled $103.5 million as of June 28, insufficient to cover even one year of current cash burn [10] - The company is restructuring to eliminate $800 million of debt by issuing 326 million shares, which may only delay addressing its core issue of weak consumer interest [11]

Group 1: Small Cap Stocks Overview - Seven small-cap stocks to watch include Beyond Meat, Spring Valley Acquisition, Strive, SEALSQ, VSee Health, Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. II, and Churchill Capital Corp X [2] - Small-cap stocks are defined as publicly traded companies with market capitalizations generally between $300 million and $2 billion [2] - These stocks are perceived to have higher growth potential but also come with increased volatility, lower liquidity, and greater business risk compared to mid- and large-cap stocks [2] Group 2: Beyond Meat Overview - Beyond Meat, Inc. specializes in developing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling plant-based meat products both in the United States and internationally [3] - The company offers a variety of plant-based meat products across beef, pork, and poultry categories [3] - Products are distributed through various channels including grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, natural retailers, restaurants, foodservice outlets, and schools [3] Group 3: Other Companies Overview - Spring Valley Acquisition is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger or similar business combination [7] - Strive (ASST) provides social media marketing and content delivery services across platforms like Discord and TikTok, focusing on community server management and investment education [4] - SEALSQ Corp designs and markets semiconductor chips globally, offering products such as secure elements and identity provisioning services [5]