March 18 (Reuters) - Meal-kit maker HelloFresh reported weaker than expected fourth-quarter core earnings on Wednesday, as it pivots its business from its staple meal-kits towards a ready-to-eat
HelloFresh forecasts 2026 revenue, profit decline; shares hit low
HelloFresh 2026 Financial Outlook and Market Performance
By Emanuele Berro and Danny Callaghan
Revenue and Profit Forecasts
March 18 (Reuters) - Meal-kit maker HelloFresh on Wednesday forecast a decline in 2026 revenue and profit, sending its shares lower, impacted by weakness in its ready-to-eat business, challenging economic conditions and bad weather.
The company's shares were down 11% at 0915 GMT, having earlier declined by 12.7% to an all-time low.
Previous Performance and Strategic Changes
The German food company reported in February lower-than-expected preliminary group revenue for 2025 and said it would cease operations in Italy and Spain, citing the lack of a viable path to profitability.
2026 Revenue Expectations
For 2026, the firm expects a further decrease in revenue of around 3% to 6%, dragged by prolonged effects of operational and manufacturing bottlenecks in the U.S. on consumer retention in its ready-to-eat segment.
It also expects AEBITDA for the 2026 financial year to be between 375 million and 425 million euros in constant currency, saying Q1 winter weather disruptions across Europe and the U.S. caused a one-off negative impact of around 25 million euros.
Risks and Market Sentiment
"We currently do not expect material impacts... from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, provided the situation resolves quickly," the company said in its annual report. "In the event of a longer lasting conflict, our business could be impacted due to higher costs from inflation and worsening consumer sentiment."
Share Price Performance Since 2021
HELLOFRESH SHARES HAVE PLUMMETED SINCE 2021
Changing Consumer Demand
HelloFresh has seen a shift in customer demand as people move from cooking meals from scratch during the COVID-19 pandemic to buying more convenient ready meals which only need reheating.
In response, the company is refocusing its core business on ready-to-eat goods, which so far have not performed as expected.
After HelloFresh's stock surged during lockdowns along with other food delivery companies, the pandemic-era darling has lost about 90% of its market value since peaking in August 2021.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.8661 euros)
(Reporting by Emanuele Berro and Danny Callaghan in Gdansk, editing by Matt Scuffham)
