As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at shelf-stable food stocks, starting with Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ: LANC).

As America industrialized and moved away from an agricultural economy, people faced more demands on their time. Packaged foods emerged as a solution offering convenience to the evolving American family, whether it be canned goods or snacks. Today, Americans seek brands that are high in quality, reliable, and reasonably priced. Furthermore, there's a growing emphasis on health-conscious and sustainable food options. Packaged food stocks are considered resilient investments. People always need to eat, so these companies can enjoy consistent demand as long as they stay on top of changing consumer preferences. The industry spans from multinational corporations to smaller specialized firms and is subject to food safety and labeling regulations.

The 21 shelf-stable food stocks we track reported a slower Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.9% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.5% above.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 7.6% since the latest earnings results.

Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ: LANC)

Known for its frozen garlic bread and Parkerhouse rolls, Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ: LANC) sells bread, dressing, and dips to the retail and food service channels.

Lancaster Colony reported revenues of $457.8 million, down 2.9% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 5.3%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

CEO David A. Ciesinski commented, “We were pleased to report third quarter records for gross profit and operating income. The 2.9% decline in consolidated net sales includes the unfavorable impacts of the perimeter-of-the-store bakery product lines we exited in March 2024 and the shift of some Retail segment sales into our fiscal fourth quarter due to the later Easter holiday.”

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 12.1% since reporting and currently trades at $169.50.

Read our full report on Lancaster Colony here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW)

Best known for its Grown in Idaho brand, Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW) produces and distributes potato products such as frozen french fries and mashed potatoes.

Lamb Weston reported revenues of $1.52 billion, up 4.3% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.4%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

Lamb Weston delivered the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $53.79.

Is now the time to buy Lamb Weston? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS)

Started as a small grocery store in New York City, B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS) is an American packaged foods company with a diverse portfolio of more than 50 brands.

B&G Foods reported revenues of $425.4 million, down 10.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 6.8%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

B&G Foods delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 30.3% since the results and currently trades at $4.40.

Read our full analysis of B&G Foods’s results here.

SunOpta (NASDAQ: STKL)

Committed to clean-label foods, SunOpta (NASDAQ: STKL) is a sustainability-focused food and beverage company specializing in the sourcing, processing, and packaging of organic products.

SunOpta reported revenues of $201.6 million, up 9.3% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. It was a very strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

SunOpta scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is up 34.8% since reporting and currently trades at $6.12.

Read our full, actionable report on SunOpta here, it’s free.

Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ: SMPL)

Best known for its Atkins brand that was inspired by the popular diet of the same name, Simply Good Foods (NASDAQ: SMPL) is a packaged food company whose offerings help customers achieve their healthy eating or weight loss goals.

Simply Good Foods reported revenues of $359.7 million, up 15.2% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and gross margin estimates.

The stock is down 1.4% since reporting and currently trades at $32.72.

Read our full, actionable report on Simply Good Foods here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn’t send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump’s November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there’s still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy.

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