Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Second quarter net sales increased by 1%, with a $24 million benefit from foreign currency translation, while on a constant currency basis, net sales were essentially flat compared to last year [14] - Volume rose by 8% in the second quarter, driven by customer wins and share gains, despite softer restaurant traffic [14] - Adjusted EBITDA declined by $9 million year-over-year to $286 million, primarily due to unfavorable Price/Mix [17] - Adjusted Gross Profit decreased by $16 million year-over-year, mainly due to unfavorable Price/Mix [17] - Free cash flow was strong at $375 million, with capital expenditures down to $156 million in the first half, reflecting disciplined investment [22][23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America segment net sales were essentially flat compared to the prior year, with volume increasing by 8% supported by recent customer contract wins [15] - International segment net sales increased by 4%, including a favorable foreign currency impact of $23 million, but declined by 1% on a constant currency basis [15][16] - Adjusted EBITDA in the North America segment increased by 7% to $288 million, reflecting strong execution and higher sales volume [20] - Adjusted EBITDA in the International segment declined by $21 million to $27 million, impacted by price and trade to support customers and higher manufacturing costs [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In North America, QSR traffic was flat, with QSR chicken growing while QSR burger traffic was down by 3% [14] - Internationally, restaurant traffic in most markets declined, including a 3% decrease in the U.K., the largest international market [14] - Asia, including China, led volume growth in the quarter, with growth also seen with multinational chain customers [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is executing its "Focus to Win" strategy, focusing on strengthening customer partnerships and driving cost savings [4][7] - The company is reopening previously curtailed capacity in North America to meet customer demand and maintain high fill rates [4][9] - The company is building a culture of continuous improvement and reducing volatility through customer contracting and raw procurement strategies [5][6] - The company is investing in innovation, including the launch of new products like Snap Fries, to capture additional market opportunities [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a dynamic macroeconomic and competitive environment, particularly in international markets, but expressed confidence in long-term profitable growth [6][24] - The company expects continued volume growth and strong sales momentum for the remainder of the fiscal year, particularly in North America [24] - Price/Mix is anticipated to remain unfavorable in the second half, but to a lesser extent than in the first half [24][25] - Management remains committed to returning cash to shareholders, with a 3% increase in the quarterly dividend [7][23] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with approximately $1.43 billion of liquidity, including $1.35 billion available under its revolving credit facility [22] - The company has repurchased $40 million of shares during the second quarter and has $308 million remaining under its current repurchase authorization [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Regarding rebalancing supply and demand in Europe - Management confirmed that they are curtailing a single line in the European market while reopening curtailed lines in North America due to strong volume [33] Question: On North America volume drivers and seasonal uptick - Management indicated that the mix shift towards private label and multinational chain customers will continue to affect gross margins in the back half of the year [36] Question: Update on Asia export markets and competition - Management acknowledged increased competition in Asia but expressed confidence in future growth due to strong customer support [42] Question: Clarification on gross margin expectations for the second half - Management confirmed that gross margins are expected to be flat to down in the second half, primarily due to mix shifts and ramp-up costs in Argentina [46] Question: Impact of reopening capacity in North America - Management stated that reopening additional capacity is necessary to meet customer expectations and will not negatively impact profitability [57] Question: Capital allocation and share repurchases - Management reiterated their commitment to capital allocation priorities, including opportunistic share repurchases while investing in the business [110]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Second quarter net sales increased by 1%, with a $24 million benefit from foreign currency translation, while on a constant currency basis, net sales were essentially flat compared to last year [14] - Volume rose by 8% in the second quarter, driven by customer wins and share gains, despite softer restaurant traffic [14][15] - Adjusted EBITDA declined by $9 million year-over-year to $286 million, while adjusted gross profit decreased by $16 million primarily due to unfavorable price mix [17][18] - Free Cash Flow was strong at $375 million, with capital expenditures down to $156 million in the first half, reflecting disciplined investment [22][23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America segment net sales were essentially flat year-over-year, with volume increasing by 8% supported by recent customer contract wins [15] - International segment net sales increased by 4%, including a favorable foreign currency impact of $23 million, but declined by 1% on a constant currency basis [15][16] - Adjusted EBITDA in the North America segment increased by 7% to $288 million, while the international segment's adjusted EBITDA declined by $21 million to $27 million [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In North America, QSR traffic was flat, with QSR chicken growing while QSR burger traffic was down by 3% [14] - Internationally, restaurant traffic in most markets declined, including a 3% drop in the U.K., the largest international market [14] - Asia, including China, led volume growth in the quarter, with multinational chain customers also contributing to growth [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is executing its "Focus to Win" strategy, strengthening customer partnerships and driving cost savings [4][7] - The reopening of previously curtailed capacity in North America aims to meet customer demand and maintain high fill rates [4][9] - The company is focused on building a culture of continuous improvement and reducing volatility through customer contracting and raw procurement strategies [5][6] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a dynamic macroeconomic and competitive environment, particularly in international markets, but expressed confidence in their plans for long-term profitable growth [6][10] - The company expects continued volume growth and strong sales momentum for the remainder of the fiscal year, with North America remaining solid [24] - Price mix is anticipated to remain unfavorable in the second half, but to a lesser extent than the first half [25] Other Important Information - The board approved a 3% increase to the quarterly dividend, reflecting the company's commitment to returning cash to shareholders [7][23] - The company is actively working to rebalance supply and demand within its network, ensuring the right assets are in place to serve priority markets [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: Regarding rebalancing supply and demand in Europe - Management confirmed that they are curtailing a single line in the European market while reopening curtailed lines in North America due to strong volume [33] Question: On North America volume drivers and seasonal uptick - Management indicated that the mixed impact is significant, with a shift from branded to private label affecting gross margins [35][36] Question: Update on Asia export markets and competition - Management acknowledged increased competition in Asia but expressed confidence in future growth, particularly in Argentina and Latin America [42] Question: Clarification on gross margin expectations - Management confirmed that the flat to down commentary on gross margin applies to the second half of the year, with expectations for moderation in seasonal trends [46] Question: Impact of reopening capacity in North America - Management stated that reopening additional capacity is necessary to meet customer expectations and does not expect a negative impact on profitability [57][58] Question: Execution improvements and accountability - Management highlighted the implementation of clear accountabilities and KPIs across the supply chain to enhance execution [68] Question: Concerns about future EBITDA guidance - Management emphasized the importance of prudence in guidance, citing ongoing competitive pressures and macroeconomic headwinds [73][75] Question: Price mix dynamics in North America - Management noted that price mix headwinds are expected to moderate slightly in the second half as they lap prior pricing actions [86] Question: Industry capacity for frozen spuds - Management reiterated that the market is expected to be rational over time, with some delays and postponements in capacity additions [100]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the second quarter, net sales increased by 1%, with a $24 million benefit from foreign currency translation, while on a constant currency basis, net sales were essentially flat compared to last year [14] - Volume rose by 8%, driven by customer wins and share gains, despite softer restaurant traffic [14] - Adjusted EBITDA declined by $9 million year-over-year to $286 million, while adjusted gross profit decreased by $16 million primarily due to unfavorable price mix [17][18] - Free Cash Flow was strong at $375 million, with capital expenditures down to $156 million in the first half, reflecting disciplined investment [22][23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America net sales were essentially flat year-over-year, with an 8% increase in volume supported by recent customer contract wins [15] - International segment net sales increased by 4%, but declined by 1% on a constant currency basis, with volume growth of 7% [15][16] - Adjusted EBITDA in North America increased by 7% to $288 million, while the international segment's adjusted EBITDA declined to $27 million due to pricing pressures and higher manufacturing costs [19][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In North America, QSR traffic was flat, with QSR chicken growing while QSR burger traffic declined by 3% [14] - Internationally, restaurant traffic in most markets declined, including a 3% drop in the U.K., the largest international market [14] - Asia, including China, led volume growth in the quarter, with multinational chain customers also contributing to growth [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is executing its "Focus to Win" strategy, focusing on strengthening customer partnerships and driving cost savings [4][6] - The company is reopening previously curtailed capacity in North America to meet customer demand and maintain high fill rates [4][9] - The company is building a culture of continuous improvement and reducing volatility through customer contracting and raw procurement strategies [5] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a dynamic macroeconomic and competitive environment, particularly in international markets, but expressed confidence in their plans to control controllables for long-term growth [5][6] - The company expects continued volume growth and strong sales momentum for the second half of the fiscal year, with North America volumes expected to grow at or above first-half rates [24] - Price mix is anticipated to remain unfavorable in the second half, but to a lesser extent than the first half [25] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $40 million of shares during the second quarter and announced a 3% increase in the quarterly dividend [6][23] - The company is actively working to rebalance supply and demand within its network, ensuring the right assets are in place to serve priority markets [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: Regarding rebalancing supply and demand in Europe - Management confirmed that they are curtailing a single line in Europe and are looking across the global supply chain to balance supply and demand [28][29] Question: Volume drivers in North America for the back half of the year - Management indicated that a significant component of volume growth is driven by a higher proportion of business with multinational chain customers and a shift from branded to private label [30][31] Question: Update on international markets, particularly Asia - Management acknowledged increased competition in Asia but expressed confidence in future growth, particularly in Latin America [32][33] Question: Gross margin expectations for the second half - Management clarified that gross margins are expected to be flat to down in the second half, primarily due to mixed shifts and pricing headwinds [34][35] Question: Capacity decisions in North America - Management explained that high utilization rates necessitated reopening additional capacity to meet customer expectations, with no expected negative impact on profitability [39][40] Question: Execution improvements and metrics - Management highlighted the implementation of clear accountabilities and KPIs across the supply chain to enhance execution and predictability [42][43] Question: Capital allocation and share repurchases - Management reiterated their commitment to disciplined capital allocation, including opportunistic share repurchases while investing in business capabilities [61]

Financial Performance & Outlook - Lamb Weston's Q2 2026 net sales increased by 1% compared to Q2 2025, which includes a favorable foreign currency impact of $24 million[28, 30] - North America net sales were flat, with volume up by 8% but price/mix down by 8%[30, 31] - International net sales increased by 4%, but decreased by 1% on a constant currency basis, with volume up by 7% and price/mix down by 8%[31] - Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $9 million, while adjusted gross profit decreased by $16 million[32] - The company reaffirms its fiscal year 2026 outlook, projecting net sales between $635 billion and $655 billion, and adjusted EBITDA between $1 billion and $12 billion[47] Cash Flow & Capital Allocation - The company has approximately $83 million in cash and cash equivalents, and $135 billion available under its revolving credit facility[39] - Net cash provided by operating activities for the first half of fiscal year 2026 was approximately $530 million, with capital expenditures of $156 million[39] - Free cash flow was $375 million, and the company returned $92 million to shareholders through dividends ($52 million) and share repurchases ($40 million)[39] - The board authorized a 3% increase in the quarterly dividend[9, 46] Strategic Initiatives - The company is executing its "Focus to Win" strategy, which includes a cost savings program expected to yield $100 million in savings in fiscal year 2026 and $250 million by the end of fiscal year 2028[9, 19] - Lamb Weston is optimizing its global supply chain, including restarting curtailed production in North America to meet higher demand[9, 15]