Man, US Foods Holding Corp had a bit of a rollercoaster recently. Their shares took a dip this Thursday — typical, right? I was picking at my breakfast when I first heard about it. Anyway, they dropped after the company spilled the beans on their second-quarter results. You know US Foods, right? They’ve got a buffet of brands under their belt, like Chef’s Line and Molly’s Kitchen. I mean, they’re all over the place with not just food but equipment too. Ever heard of Chef’Stores? Yeah, them.
So, they reported adjusted earnings per share—fancy term for “how much money we kinda made per share”—at $1.19. This actually beat what everyone expected. But, their sales, clocking in at $10.082 billion, kinda tripped just shy of the big gurus’ predictions. Yeah, just a smidge under $10.166 billion. CFO Dirk Locascio (what a name, right?) was all proud, saying they were climbing in earnings and bought back shares. Sounds thrilling? Maybe not, but it’s business after all.
There was this note about some “Papa John’s” strategy for growth. I’m thinking pizza has magical powers or something. But back to US Foods—their sales growth was a mishmash of selling more stuff and, well, a little bump in food costs. They moved more food cases—no joke, like 0.9% more. Not sure how many cases that is, though.
Oh, and their profits? Propped up by $85 million, should make anyone’s day better. The margin—or as I call it, the “how-much-we’re-actually-making” line—ticked up slightly. It’s wild how just a tiny change there gets people hyped. Yeah, let’s party with numbers!
On a personal note, I’m no fan of tracking EBITDA (yawn, right?), but their adjusted one rose by over 12%. I don’t usually get numbers’ fascination, but it’s their thing, not mine. And they’ve also been ducking around with vendors, saving like $50 million — opps, not pocket change. By the way, if you’re wondering if they can meet their $260 million efficiency promise by 2027—spoiler, they’re feeling optimistic.
Their private-label stuff sneaked up over 53%. Imagine that in the core restaurants! They even hinted at some great inventory magic they’re planning for 2025, hoping for $30 million in profits. Ok, last number fact: they finished the quarter with a bit more cash, $61 million kinda beats last year’s stash.
For 2025, their sales guess is still standing at around $39 billion-ish. A bit on the ambitious side? Maybe. Yet, their adjusted EPS guidance also got all tightened up, like giving a belt one more notch. They’re playing it safer, methinks, trying to nail the $3.81 wall street wants.
So there you have it, US Foods Holding seems to be navigating the windy roads of business with its ups, downs, and all-around turns. Can’t say it’s a smooth ride, but hey, who doesn’t love a little drama with their numbers and brands?
