--- title: "FRESHPET | 8-K: FY2026 Q1 Revenue Beats Estimate at USD 297.64 M" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/285356688.md" datetime: "2026-05-06T10:33:39.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/285356688.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/285356688.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/285356688.md) --- # FRESHPET | 8-K: FY2026 Q1 Revenue Beats Estimate at USD 297.64 M Revenue: As of FY2026 Q1, the actual value is USD 297.64 M, beating the estimate of USD 291.53 M. EPS: As of FY2026 Q1, the actual value is USD 0.91, beating the estimate of USD 0.0886. EBIT: As of FY2026 Q1, the actual value is USD 66.35 M. #### Operational Metrics Freshpet, Inc. reported net sales for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 13.1% to $297.6 million, up from $263.2 million in the prior year period, primarily driven by volume gains of 14.6%, partially offset by an unfavorable price/mix of 1.5% . Another report stated the increase was driven by a 15% volume increase, offset by a -2% impact from price/mix . Gross profit was $120.7 million, or 40.5% as a percentage of net sales, for the first quarter of 2026, compared to $103.8 million, or 39.4% as a percentage of net sales, in the prior year period . GAAP Gross Profit for Q1 2026 was $120.674 million, compared to $103.788 million in Q1 2025 . Adjusted Gross Profit reached $139.6 million, or 46.9% as a percentage of net sales, in the first quarter of 2026, compared to $120.2 million, or 45.7% as a percentage of net sales, in the prior year period . Adjusted Gross Margin improved by 120 basis points to 46.9% . Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (SG&A) amounted to $116.3 million, or 39.1% as a percentage of net sales, for the first quarter of 2026, down from $115.3 million, or 43.8% as a percentage of net sales, in the prior year period . Adjusted SG&A for the first quarter of 2026 was $101.7 million, or 34.2% as a percentage of net sales, compared to $84.7 million, or 32.2% as a percentage of net sales, in the prior year period . Income from operations was $4.3 million for the first quarter of 2026, a significant improvement from an operating loss of - $11.5 million in the prior year period . Net income for the first quarter of 2026 was $48.5 million, a substantial turnaround from a net loss of - $12.7 million in the prior year period . Net Income for Q1 2026 was $48.5 million, an increase of $61.2 million compared to the prior year period . Adjusted EBITDA increased to $37.9 million for the first quarter of 2026, up from $35.5 million in the prior year period . Adjusted EBITDA was $37.9 million, an increase of $2.4 million, while Adjusted EBITDA Margin decreased by 80 basis points to 12.7% . #### Operating Costs Logistics Costs as a percentage of net sales increased by 40 basis points to 6.3% . Input Costs as a percentage of net sales decreased by 80 basis points to 28.5% . Quality Costs as a percentage of net sales decreased by 10 basis points to 2.1% . #### Cash Flow and Liquidity As of March 31, 2026, Freshpet, Inc. had cash and cash equivalents of $381.4 million, an increase of $103.4 million compared to $278.0 million as of December 31, 2025 . Operating cash flow for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, was $40.3 million, marking an increase of $35.5 million compared to the prior year period . Operating Cash Flow for Q1 2026 was $40.3 million, an increase of $35.5 million year-over-year . Free cash flow for the first quarter of 2026 was $12.7 million, a significant improvement from - $21.7 million in the prior year period . Free Cash Flow was $12.7 million, an increase of $34.4 million . Capital expenditures for Q1 2026 were $27.6 million . The company had $397.9 million of debt outstanding as of March 31, 2026, net of unamortized debt issuance costs . #### Unique Metrics Total Household Penetration grew by 8%, and Total Buy Rate increased by 6% . MVP Household Penetration saw a 13% increase . Fridge Growth and Cubic Feet of Fridges both increased by 7%, while Store Count grew by 7% and Total Distribution Points by 10% . Ecommerce Share of Sales reached 16.1% . Freshpet, Inc.’s market share of the U.S. dog food and treats category was 4.2% . Freshpet Household Penetration reached 16.1 million households for the 12 months ended March 29, 2026, reflecting an 8% increase year-over-year . The number of Most Valuable Pet Parents (MVPs) reached 2.5 million for the same period . The Freshpet Buy Rate was $114 for the 52 weeks ended March 29, 2026, representing a 6% increase . As of YTD 2026, the company had 39,464 stores and 29,547 fridges . Manufacturing capacity includes 16 lines currently, with a projection to expand to 24+ lines . #### Outlook / Guidance For the full year 2026, Freshpet, Inc. updated its net sales growth guidance to a range of 8% to 11%, an increase from the previous 7% to 10%, while maintaining its Adjusted EBITDA guidance at $205 million to $215 million and capital expenditures at approximately $150 million . The company anticipates positive free cash flow for FY 2026 and expects a 50-100 basis point improvement in Adjusted Gross Margin year-over-year at the midpoint of the sales range . For 2027, targets include an Adjusted Gross Margin greater than 48% and an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 20-22%, with net sales growth well in excess of the category growth rate . ### Related Stocks - [FRPT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/FRPT.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [3 Best Growth Stocks to Buy This Week, According to Analysts](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286975701.md) - [Jana Partners Management Dissolves Share Stake In Freshpet; Raises In Fiserv](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286613926.md) - [Yext to Announce First Quarter Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Results on June 2, 2026 | YEXT Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286970613.md) - [LOWE'S REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2026 SALES AND EARNINGS RESULTS | LOW Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287043063.md) - [Hafnia’s Q1 2026 Financial Results Presentation to Be Held on 27 May 2026 | HAFN Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287014236.md)