Krispy Kreme, Inc. (DNUT) · Nov 5, 2026 · Earnings
Beat — Adj. EPS $0.06 vs ~$0.02 consensus; revenue $328.8M vs ~$311.4M
Krispy Kreme’s Q3 earnings beat expectations, with adjusted EPS above consensus and 2026 revenue guidance raised and narrowed.
Krispy Kreme is midway through a turnaround built around refranchising, lower capital spending, U.S. margin recovery, and a more capital-light international franchise model. The prior outlook called for 2026 revenue of $1.25 billion to $1.35 billion and Adjusted EBITDA of $140 million to $150 million.
The quarter beat the published bar, not just the prior year. Revenue reached $328.8 million versus a published consensus of roughly $311.4 million, while adjusted EPS was $0.06 versus roughly $0.02 expected. The filing says, “Adjusted net income was $9.9million, an improvement from Adjusted net income of $1.4million in the prior year third quarter, and Adjusted EPS was $0.06, compared with an Adjusted EPS of $0.01.”
| Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Consensus / prior guide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net revenue (Financial Highlights) | $328.8M (+5.6%) | $375.3M | $311.4M |
| Adjusted EPS (Financial Highlights) | $0.06 | $0.01 | $0.02 |
| Organic revenue growth (Financial Highlights) | -0.1% | 0.6% | |
| Adjusted EBITDA (Financial Highlights) | $35.3M (-13.1%) | $40.6M | |
| Free cash flow, YTD (Cash Flow statement) | $(10.0)M | $(91.9)M | >$15M FY guide |
| Net leverage ratio (Net Debt and Leverage) | 5.5x (-1.2x) | <5.5x FY guide |
The headline revenue decline is mostly portfolio reshaping, while underlying growth is only modest. Reported revenue fell 12.4% because Japan and the western U.S. WKS joint venture were refranchised, but the comparable business was roughly flat: organic revenue declined just 0.1%, U.S. organic revenue rose 0.9%, and Market Development organic revenue rose 14.0%. The filing says, “Net revenue was $328.8million, a decline of 12.4% or $46.5million, due primarily to refranchising the western U.S. joint venture with WKS Restaurant Group (“WKS”) and the Japan refranchising.”
The more important improvement is operating quality and cash generation. Adjusted EBITDA was down against a prior-year quarter that included a $9.3 million cybersecurity insurance recovery, but excluding that unusual item EBITDA rose 12.7% and adjusted margin expanded from 8.3% to 10.7%. Year-to-date operating cash flow turned positive and free cash flow improved by $82 million, while net leverage fell to 5.5x from 6.7x at year-end. The filing says, “Year-to-date cash provided by operating activities of $18.7million increased $29.8million, and free cash flow of ($10) million improved $82million, when compared to the first three quarters of 2025.”
Management raised and narrowed the 2026 revenue outlook, adding confirmation that the turnaround is tracking ahead of the prior internal bar. That is the clearest incremental signal in the filing: the business is not producing broad organic growth yet, but refranchising, cost controls, lower capital intensity, and franchise expansion are improving the financial profile faster than the market expected. The filing also adds a Pakistan agreement for 120 shops over five years, but that is a longer-term development rather than a near-term earnings driver. 〔0〕
Bottom line: This is a meaningful turnaround-positive quarter: Krispy Kreme beat near-term expectations, improved cash generation and leverage, and raised revenue guidance. The core demand picture is still only roughly flat organically, so the progress is more about execution and financial repair than a return to broad-based growth.
Q4 earnings report and full-year 2026 results
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