Wednesday, October 16, 2024

PepsiCo earnings: Company cuts 2024 guidance as North America sales lag expectations

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PepsiCo (PEP) on Tuesday revised its 2024 sales outlook after its North America and international sales lagged Wall Street’s expectations in the third quarter.

The snack and beverage giant told investors on Tuesday that it now expects to end the year with a low-single-digit increase in organic revenue growth, below the previously expected 4% growth.

The snack and beverage giant’s shares fell roughly 1% in premarket trading after the release of its quarterly results.

JP Morgan analyst Andrea Teixeira on Tuesday said she expects the stock to remain “negative to neutral.”

“We believe a cut to the organic sales growth outlook and reiteration of the profit outlook was widely anticipated as ongoing challenging trends in North America segments is offset by stronger margin and productivity performance,” she wrote in a note to clients.

The company posted adjusted third quarter earnings of $2.31 a share, slightly above the $2.30 expected by analysts. But revenue in the quarter trailed behind Wall Street’s estimates, coming in at $23.3 billion, versus the $23.8 billion expected.

PepsiCo also reiterated expectations of at least an 8% jump in core constant currency earnings per share.

“Management still expects to grow EPS at least 8%, impressive given 12% growth last year. A proof point that the operating model can deliver in a tougher macro,” Jefferies analyst Kaumil Gajrawala said.

For the rest of the year, Pepsi will “continue to invest in commercial activities and brand support to stimulate consumer demand,” chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said in the release.

Laguarta added that Pepsi’s performance in the fiscal third quarter was impacted by “subdued category performance trends in North America,” the impact of recalls at Quaker Foods North America and business disruptions from “rising geopolitical tensions in certain international markets.”

All three of PepsiCo’s North America segments fell below expectations, including Frito-Lay, Quaker Foods, and PepsiCo Beverages, as it looks to combat consumer pushback of higher prices at the grocery store.

In a statement, the company said its made investments to offer “more value to consumers” and improve “in-store availability and presence” resulting in improving volume performance trend. Its snack business, Frito-Lay, saw volume decline 1.5% in the quarter, compared to expectations of 1.81%.

The company added that the “the cumulative impacts of inflationary pressures and higher borrowing costs over the last few years have continued to impact consumer budgets and spending patterns,” which has resulted in its salty and savory snack business underperforming year-to-date.

It said it’s also doubling down on what it calls “positive choices” with its healthier alternative brands like SunChips, Stacy’s and PopCorners.

Following the end of Q3, the company also announced plans to acquire the Mexican-American meal and snack brand Siete Foods (“Siete”) for $1.2 billion.

Rows of original Oat So Simple pots by Quaker Oats, convenient recylcable pots of porridge oats, stacked on top of one another on a supermarket shelf on 3rd July, 2022 in Leeds, United Kingdom. (photo by Daniel Harvey Gonzalez/In Pictures via Getty Images)

Rows of original Oat So Simple pots by Quaker Oats, convenient recylcable pots of porridge oats, stacked on top of one another on a supermarket shelf on 3rd July, 2022 in Leeds, United Kingdom. (photo by Daniel Harvey Gonzalez/In Pictures via Getty Images) (Daniel Harvey Gonzalez via Getty Images)

Here’s what PepsiCo reported, compared to what Wall Street expected, per Bloomberg consensus data:

Adjusted earnings per share: $2.31, versus $2.30 expected

Revenue: $23.3 billion, compared to $23.8 billion

Organic revenue growth: 1.30%, compared to 3.00%

North America:

  • Frito-Lay: 1.00%, compared to flat

  • Quaker Foods: – 13.00%, compared to -10.44%

  • PepsiCo Beverages: 1.00%, compared to 1.86%

Europe: 6.00%, compared to 7.45%

Latin America: 3.00%, compared to 4.49%

Africa, Middle East, & South Asia: 6.00%, compared to 11.40%

Asia Pacific, Australia, and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and China Region: -1.00%, compared to 2.92%

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Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.

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