The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) traded flat Wednesday after the packaged food giant hit pause on its planned corporate separation, unveiled a $600 million growth push, and issued a 2026 outlook that fell well short of Wall Street expectations.

Investors reacted cautiously as the company signaled increased spending to revive growth while navigating continued pressure in its core U.S. business.

Quarterly Metrics

The company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 67 cents (down 20.2% year over year), beating the analyst consensus of 61 cents. Quarterly sales of $6.354 billion missed the Street view of $6.376 billion.

Net sales declined 3.4%, while organic net sales fell 4.2% during the period.

Gross profit margin declined by 150 basis points to 32.6%, while adjusted gross profit margin decreased by 130 basis points to 33.1%.

Operating income totaled $1.1 billion, while adjusted operating income came in at $1.2 billion, down 15.9%.

North America sales fell 5.4% to $4.70 billion, while International Developed Markets gained 1.8% to $930 million. Emerging ...