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

Key Points

• US Foods missed quarterly expectations: The company reported adjusted EPS of $0.78 versus estimates of $0.82, while revenue came in at $9.61 billion, slightly below the $9.66 billion consensus.
• Business trends remain positive underneath the miss: Quarterly revenue still rose 2.8% year over year, and management highlighted strong momentum in independent restaurants, including 20 straight quarters of market-share gains.
• Outlook was updated despite near-term pressure: US Foods raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance to $4.696-$4.935 and reaffirmed growth targets, but warned that severe winter weather and higher fuel costs are weighing on margins.

US Foods (NYSE:USFD - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $9.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.66 billion. US Foods had a net margin of 1.71% and a return on equity of 19.37%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. 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 Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE USFD traded down $2.44 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $84.44. The company had a trading volume of 3,388,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,144,802. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 0.68. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $91.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $83.96. US Foods has a 12 month low of $69.88 and a 12 month high of $102.13. The firm has a market cap of $18.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.43, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.90.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other US Foods news, insider James David Works, Jr. sold 65,737 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.52, for a total transaction of $6,344,935.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 88,176 shares in the company, valued at $8,510,747.52. This trade 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 at this link. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of US Foods

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in US Foods during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $526,000. Boston Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of US Foods in the 4th quarter worth $221,000. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of US Foods by 22.9% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,917 shares of the company's stock worth $220,000 after buying an additional 544 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. bought a new position in shares of US Foods in the 3rd quarter worth $103,000. Finally, NorthRock Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of US Foods in the 3rd quarter worth $201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on USFD. Wall Street Zen lowered US Foods from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on US Foods from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Guggenheim lifted their price target on US Foods from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Piper Sandler downgraded US Foods from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $85.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $117.00 price objective on shares of US Foods in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.75.

More US Foods News

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

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.

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