Kraft Heinz Earnings: Sales Stifled by Pinched Consumer, but Investments to Buoy Long-Term Results

The market soured on no-moat Kraft Heinz following mixed fourth-quarter marks, sending shares down by a mid-single-digit percentage. While its adjusted gross margin popped 260 basis points to 34.8%, organic sales slipped 0.7% on a 4.4% degradation in volume. This shortfall was particularly acute on its home turf (around three quarters of its total sales), where organic sales fell 3% on a 5.5% downdraft in volumes. Beyond a few one-time factors (related to trade timing and retail inventories, which compressed sales by 150 basis points), management was also forthright that consumers are struggling under the weight of higher interest rates and a reduction in SNAP benefits.