US Foods (NYSE:USFD) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.04 EPS

US Foods (NYSE:USFD) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.82 by ($0.04), FiscalAI reports. US Foods had a net margin of 1.71% and a return on equity of 19.37%. The firm had revenue of $9.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.66 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. US Foods updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.696-4.935 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from US Foods’ conference call:

• Independent restaurant momentum: Organic independent case growth accelerated to ~4.4% (strongest in >2 years) and US Foods recorded its 20th consecutive quarter of market-share gains with independents, underpinning continued customer wins.
• Guidance reaffirmed but conditional: Management reiterated 2026 targets of adjusted EBITDA growth of 9%–13% and adjusted diluted EPS growth of 18%–24% (includes a 53rd week), while noting outcomes depend on fuel and macro trends.
• Weather and fuel pressure near term: Severe winter storms and higher fuel costs materially hit Q1 (nearly 2x DC closure days vs. prior year), cutting adjusted EBITDA growth by ~4 percentage points and prompting Q2 growth guidance of mid-to-upper single digits if fuel stays elevated.
• Product, tech and channel growth initiatives scaling: AI tools (MenuIQ) saw rapid adoption (15% of independents in two months), US Foods launched the new Signature hospitality solution, and Pronto expanded to its 47th market with a $1.5B 2027 sales target.
• Self-help, margins and capital deployment: Adjusted gross profit rose 4.4% and adjusted EBITDA grew 6.2%; cost-of-goods savings target increased to $300M through 2027, UMOS and indirect-spend programs are driving productivity, and the company repurchased $125M of stock (net leverage 2.6x, $1B repurchase capacity remaining).

US Foods Trading Down 2.8%

USFD stock traded down $2.44 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $84.44. The company had a trading volume of 3,388,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,144,802. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $91.75 and a 200 day moving average of $83.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 0.68. US Foods has a 12 month low of $69.88 and a 12 month high of $102.13. The company has a market capitalization of $18.60 billion, a PE ratio of 28.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.90.

Key Headlines Impacting US Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting US Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: US Foods said first-quarter case volume rose 1.4%, with independent restaurant case volume up 4.6%, while net sales increased 2.8% to $9.6 billion and adjusted EBITDA climbed 6.2% to $413 million. US Foods Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: The company reaffirmed its 2026 outlook for 9% to 13% adjusted EBITDA growth and issued full-year EPS guidance of $4.696 to $4.935, signaling confidence in its operating plans despite near-term cost pressures. US Foods reaffirms 2026 outlook for 9%-13% adjusted EBITDA growth amid elevated fuel costs
• Neutral Sentiment: Management highlighted continued profit improvement on the earnings call, but investors are weighing that against weather disruptions, higher fuel costs, and other headwinds that could pressure margins in coming quarters. US Foods Earnings Call Highlights Profits Amid Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly EPS of $0.78 missed estimates of $0.82, and revenue of $9.61 billion also came in below expectations, which is the main reason the stock is under pressure today. US Foods (NYSE:USFD) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q1 CY2026 Earnings

Insider Activity

In related news, insider James David Works, Jr. sold 65,737 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.52, for a total value of $6,344,935.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 88,176 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,510,747.52. This represents a 42.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On US Foods

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in US Foods by 85.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 148,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,722,000 after acquiring an additional 68,567 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in US Foods during the 1st quarter valued at about $359,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in US Foods during the 2nd quarter valued at about $526,000. Brown Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of US Foods in the 2nd quarter valued at about $252,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of US Foods by 20.5% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 47,977 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,695,000 after purchasing an additional 8,162 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on USFD. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of US Foods from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $106.00 target price on shares of US Foods in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Barclays increased their price target on US Foods from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $111.00 price target on US Foods and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, BTIG Research boosted their price objective on US Foods from $82.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, US Foods has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $106.75.

About US Foods

US Foods (NYSE: USFD) is a leading foodservice distributor in the United States that supplies a wide range of products and services to professional food operators. The company provides fresh, frozen and dry food items as well as non-food restaurant supplies and kitchen equipment. Its customer base includes independent restaurants, multi-unit chains, healthcare and senior living facilities, hospitality businesses, government and educational institutions, and other foodservice operators.

Beyond commodity and branded food products, US Foods offers value-added solutions designed to help customers run their businesses.