- UBS adjusted its outlook on National Beverage Corp., lowering its price target to $31.
- National Beverage Corp. reported Q1 earnings per share of $0.50 and sales of $330.66 million, both missing analyst expectations.
- Profitability was impacted by a reduced gross margin of 35% due to elevated input costs, leading to price increases that negatively affected consumer demand and sales volume.
National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: FIZZ) is a beverage company best known for its popular LaCroix sparkling water brand. On September 14, 2026, the analyst firm UBS adjusted its outlook on the company, lowering its price target for National Beverage Corp. to $31. A price target is an analyst's projection of a stock's future price.
The new price target was set when the stock was trading at $31.37. This adjustment followed the release of the company's first-quarter results, which did not meet analyst expectations. The report caused significant stock movement, with shares initially falling 6.3% before recovering, as highlighted by The Motley Fool.
The company reported quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $0.50. EPS represents the company's profit divided by its number of shares. This figure missed the analyst consensus estimate of $0.59 per share. Additionally, quarterly sales of $330.66 million fell short of the $342.08 million that analysts had predicted, as noted by Benzinga.
Management stated that profits were hurt by a lower gross margin, which fell to 35%. Gross margin is the portion of money left from sales after accounting for the cost of making the product. The company cited "elevated input costs" and tariffs as reasons for the decline, as reported by Business Wire.
To counter these rising costs, National Beverage Corp. raised its prices. However, this action led to lower demand and a decrease in the volume of products sold. The company also noted in a statement that its net sales were negatively impacted by consumer sentiment.
