Hain Celestial(US:HAIN)2025-11-07 14:02Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company's Q1 2026 net sales were $368 million, with an adjusted EBITDA of $20 million, consistent with expectations and similar to Q4 2025 [20][21] - Organic net sales declined by 6% year-over-year, showing a sequential improvement from an 11% decline in Q4 [20][21] - Adjusted gross margin decreased to 19.5%, down approximately 120 basis points year-over-year, primarily due to lower volume mix and cost inflation [20][21] - SG&A expenses decreased by 8% year-over-year to $66 million, representing 17.8% of net sales compared to 18.1% in the prior year [20][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In North America, organic net sales declined by 7%, driven by lower volume in snacks, but growth was seen in beverages, baby and kids, and meal prep [23] - International organic net sales declined by 4%, primarily due to lower sales in baby and kids, partially offset by growth in meal prep [24] - Snacks organic net sales were down 17% year-over-year, while baby and kids saw a decline of 10% [25][26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In North America, tea and yogurt grew double digits at key online retailers, while the beverages category saw a 2% organic net sales growth driven by tea [17][26] - Internationally, Hartley's Jelly Pops and Sun Pops showed strong performance, particularly in September [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on stabilizing sales, improving profitability, optimizing cash, and deleveraging the balance sheet [5][17] - A turnaround strategy is anchored in five key actions: streamlining the portfolio, accelerating brand renovation and innovation, implementing strategic revenue growth management and pricing, driving productivity and working capital efficiency, and strengthening digital capabilities [7][32] - The company plans to eliminate approximately 30% of its SKUs in North America by fiscal 2027 to improve supply chain efficiency [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that consumer behavior is shifting towards value-seeking due to tighter budgets, impacting shopping patterns [43] - The company expects to see improvements in organic sales in the second half of the fiscal year, particularly in snacks and baby and kids categories [37][39] - Management is optimistic about the innovation pipeline and marketing investments planned for the second half of the year [30][32] Other Important Information - The company has taken $14 million in charges associated with restructuring, with total charges to date amounting to $103 million [21] - Free cash flow for the quarter was an outflow of $14 million, an improvement from an outflow of $17 million in the prior year [27] - The company closed the quarter with cash on hand of $48 million and net debt of $668 million, an increase from $650 million at the beginning of the fiscal year [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Expectations for organic sales in Q2 - Management anticipates some moderation in the year-over-year rate of decline in organic sales in Q2, with a focus on improvements in the second half [37] Question: Elasticity of pricing in North America - Early data indicates that pricing on tea is in line with expectations, while baby category pricing is slower to roll through but also appears to be in line [39] Question: Consumer behavior in the current environment - Management noted a shift towards value-seeking behavior among consumers, with a focus on delivering value through better-for-you products [43]