Kraft Heinz(KHC) - 2025 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Organic net sales declined by 4.7% year-over-year, with price up 0.9 percentage points and volume mix down 5.6 percentage points [42] - Adjusted operating income decreased by 5.2%, while adjusted operating income margin increased by 30 basis points due to strong performance in emerging markets [44] - Free cash flow conversion improved by 9 percentage points year-over-year, reaching 65% [49] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America organic net sales declined by 6.5%, impacted by lower sales in U.S. retail and away from home [42] - Emerging markets saw organic net sales growth of 3.9%, an improvement from 2.2% in the previous quarter [43] - Adjusted operating income in North America decreased by 9.4%, while in emerging markets, it increased by 20.3% [44][45] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. away from home market faced a downturn due to economic uncertainty, with traffic declining across the sector [29][31] - International developed markets experienced a 1.7% decline in organic net sales, primarily due to weakening consumer sentiment in the UK [43] - Emerging markets are expected to reach double-digit growth by the fourth quarter of 2025 [43] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on unlocking efficiencies and reinvesting in the business to drive brand and product growth [9][11] - A commitment to continuous improvement is emphasized, with a goal to unlock $2.5 billion in gross efficiencies by 2027 [10] - The brand growth system is being expanded to cover 40% of sales by year-end, up from 10% in 2024 [11][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged pressures from inflation and tariffs, impacting consumer sentiment and business operations [6][60] - The company has lowered its organic net sales expectations for 2025, now anticipating a decline of 1.5% to 3.5% [53][54] - Future guidance reflects increased costs and a wider range of uncertainty due to macroeconomic dynamics [55] Other Important Information - The company returned nearly$ 900 million to shareholders year-to-date, maintaining a net leverage target of approximately 3x [52] - Adjusted EPS is expected to be in the range of $2.51 to$ 2.67, reflecting changes in organic net sales and operating income estimates [56] - The company is investing in strategic areas, including marketing efficiency and brand support, to drive growth [47] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the expectations for organic net sales in 2025? - The company now expects organic net sales to decline by 1.5% to 3.5%, a revision from previous expectations of flat to down 2.5% [53][54] Question: How is the company addressing inflation and consumer sentiment challenges? - The company is focusing on unlocking efficiencies, optimizing marketing spend, and increasing investments in pricing to support brands [46][60] Question: What is the outlook for emerging markets? - Emerging markets are expected to continue growing, with a target of reaching double-digit growth by the fourth quarter of 2025 [43]