Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.02 EPS

Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by ($0.02), Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $367.03 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $359.42 million. Krispy Kreme had a negative return on equity of 4.25% and a negative net margin of 33.36%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.05) EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Krispy Kreme’s conference call:

• Krispy Kreme accelerated refranchising, completing deals in Japan with Unison Capital and reducing its Western U.S. JV stake to 20%, raising the expected franchise portion of system-wide sales from ~25% to 42% and targeting 50% in 2027, which reduced net debt and supports capital-light growth.
• Financial performance improved meaningfully — first-quarter Adjusted EBITDA $33.1M (+38% YoY), first positive Q1 free cash flow since the IPO, net leverage down to 5.5x, bank leverage below 4x, and liquidity above $300M.
• Full-year 2026 guidance was provided: net revenue of $1.25B–$1.35B, Adjusted EBITDA $140M–$150M, system-wide sales growth of 2%–4% to over $2B, capex of $50M–$60M, >100 shop openings (mostly franchised), and >$15M positive free cash flow.
• U.S. operations show higher profitability and efficiency — outsourced logistics, average weekly sales per door up to $685 (+16.7% YoY) and U.S. Adjusted EBITDA +61% — but organic U.S. revenue declined ~4% due to strategic closures and the exit from the McDonald’s partnership.

Krispy Kreme Stock Performance

DNUT stock traded down $0.04 on Friday, hitting $3.60. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,829,087 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,331,207. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $3.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.72. Krispy Kreme has a 1 year low of $2.50 and a 1 year high of $5.73. The stock has a market cap of $620.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.20 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Institutional Trading of Krispy Kreme

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Krispy Kreme in the 4th quarter valued at $69,000. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. purchased a new position in Krispy Kreme during the 4th quarter worth $98,000. PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Krispy Kreme during the 3rd quarter worth $62,000. Quantessence Capital LLC purchased a new position in Krispy Kreme during the 3rd quarter worth $66,000. Finally, Jain Global LLC purchased a new position in Krispy Kreme during the 3rd quarter worth $49,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.72% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DNUT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $3.00 price objective on shares of Krispy Kreme in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Krispy Kreme from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Krispy Kreme in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Capital One Financial upgraded shares of Krispy Kreme from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $6.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Krispy Kreme from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Krispy Kreme has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $4.63.

Trending Headlines about Krispy Kreme

Here are the key news stories impacting Krispy Kreme this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Krispy Kreme reported a 38% jump in adjusted EBITDA, indicating its turnaround efforts are improving margins and profitability. Krispy Kreme 1Q Adjusted EBITDA Jumps 38% Amid Turnaround
• Positive Sentiment: The company said it expects 2026 system-wide sales to rise 2% to 4% to more than $2 billion and guided to $140 million to $150 million in adjusted EBITDA, signaling confidence in the recovery. Krispy Kreme projects 2026 system-wide sales up 2% to 4% to over $2B while targeting $140M to $150M in adjusted EBITDA
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted “significant progress” on the turnaround, with narrowing losses and expanding margins suggesting the business is becoming more efficient. Krispy Kreme Narrows Loss, Sees Growth Returning as Turnaround Advances
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also leaned into seasonal marketing, bringing back Mother’s Day-themed mini and special-flavor doughnuts, which may help near-term sales but is not a major financial catalyst. Krispy Kreme releases special flavors for Mother’s Day
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 EPS came in at a loss of $0.05 per share, wider than the $0.03 loss analysts expected, showing profitability remains under pressure. Krispy Kreme (DNUT) shares rise despite quarterly earnings and revenue miss
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell 2.2% year over year to $367 million, and the company guided 2026 revenue below Wall Street’s expectation, which could limit upside if growth does not accelerate. Krispy Kreme Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results Demonstrating Significant Progress on Turnaround

Krispy Kreme Company Profile

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc (NASDAQ: DNUT) is a global retailer and wholesaler renowned for its signature Original Glazed doughnut and a variety of other sweet treats. The company operates through a combination of company-owned stores, franchise outlets and strategic partnerships with supermarkets, convenience stores and other foodservice channels. In addition to its doughnut portfolio, Krispy Kreme offers freshly brewed coffee, assorted beverages and proprietary seasonal items designed to drive traffic and foster brand loyalty.

Founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by Vernon Rudolph, Krispy Kreme has grown from a single local shop to a multinational brand.