Beyond Meat (BYND) Q1 2022 earnings miss estimates

Beyond Meat on Wednesday reported a wider-than-expected loss for its first quarter as its margins shriveled and cheaper prices weakened international sales.

Shares of the company fell as much as 25% in extended trading, extending the stock’s losses from earlier in the day. Beyond’s stock closed Wednesday down 13.8% ahead of the company’s earnings report.

Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:

• Loss per share: $1.58 adjusted vs. $1.01 expected
• Revenue: $109.5 million vs. $112.3 million expected

Beyond reported first-quarter net loss of $100.5 million, or $1.58 per share, wider than its net loss of $27.3 million, or 43 cents per share, a year earlier.

In a statement, CEO Ethan Brown said that the company saw a “sizable though temporary” hit to its gross margin to support strategic launches. The company’s gross margin was 0.2% of revenue during the quarter, tumbling sharply from its gross margin of 30.2% a year ago.

Excluding items, the company lost $1.58 per share, wider than the $1.01 per share expected by analysts surveyed by Refinitiv.

Net sales rose 1.2% to $109.5 million, falling short of expectations of $112.3 million.

Total volume, which strips out the impact of pricing or currency fluctuations, increased 12.4% in the quarter. However, net revenue per pound shrank by 10%. The company said it increased discounts for international customers and reduced prices in the European Union.

In the United States, Beyond’s revenue rose 4%, helped by the grocery launch of its plant-based jerky through its joint venture with PepsiCo. However, U.S. food service revenue, which includes sales to restaurants and college campuses, fell 7.5% during the quarter. And although its grocery segment reported sales growth of 6.9%, the company said products besides the jerky saw their sales shrink.

Outside of its home market, Beyond’s revenue shrank 6.2%, although the company said it sold more pounds of its meat substitutes in both international grocery stores and food service outlets. Beyond also said foreign exchange rates hit its international sales.

The company reiterated its full-year revenue forecast of $560 million to $620 million.

Read the full earnings report here.