KHC Kraft Heinz Co - 10-K
0001637459-26-000009Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is -0.11pp more bearish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase- volatility+4
- failure+3
- unable+2
- adverse+2
- delay+2
- satisfy+3
- opportunities+3
- favorable+2
- achieve+1
- greater+1
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
13,317 words
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Our business is subject to various risks and uncertainties. In addition to the risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K, any of the risks and uncertainties described below could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and should be considered when evaluating Kraft Heinz. Although the risks are organized and described separately, many of the risks are interrelated. Some of the factors, events, and contingencies discussed below may have occurred in the past, and the disclosures below are not representations as to whether or not the factors, events or contingencies have occurred in the past, but are provided because future occurrences of such factors, events, or contingencies could have a material adverse effect. While we believe we have identified and discussed the material risks affecting our business below, there may be additional risks and uncertainties that are not presently known or that are not currently believed to be material that may adversely affect our business, performance, or financial condition in the future.
Industry Risks
We operate in a highly competitive industry.
The food and beverage industry is highly competitive across all of our product offerings. Our principal competitors in these categories are manufacturers and retailers with their own branded and private label products. We compete based on product innovation, price, product quality, nutritional value, service, taste, convenience, brand recognition and loyalty, effectiveness of marketing and distribution, promotional activity, and the ability to identify and satisfy changing consumer preferences.
We may need to reduce our prices, or be restricted or delayed in our ability to increase prices, in response to competitive, customer, consumer, regulatory, or macroeconomic pressures, including pressures related to private label products that are generally sold at lower prices. These pressures have restricted, and may in the future continue to restrict, our ability to increase prices and maintain those price increases in response to commodity and other cost increases, including those related to inflationary pressures. Furthermore, our competitors may attempt to gain market share by offering products at prices at or below those typically offered by our company, which may require us to increase spending on advertising and promotions and/or reduce prices. Failure to effectively assess, timely change, and properly set pricing, promotions, or trade incentives may negatively impact our ability to achieve our objectives.
In addition, in order to remain competitive, we rely on our ability to secure new retailers and maintain or add shelf space for our products. If we are unable to secure sufficient and attractive shelf space, adequate product visibility, and attractive pricing for our products with retailers, our products may be disadvantaged against our competitors. Even if we obtain preferred product visibility and shelf space, our new and existing products may fail to achieve the sales expectations set by retailers, which may cause these retailers to remove our products from their shelves.
Our products are sold in highly competitive marketplaces, including e-commerce retailers, large-format retailers, and discounters. Competition amongst retailers may create consumer price deflation, affecting our retail customer relationships and presenting additional challenges to increasing prices in response to commodity or other cost increases. We may also need to increase or reallocate spending on marketing, retail trade incentives, advertising, and new product, platform, or channel innovation to maintain or increase market share. These expenditures are subject to risks, including uncertainties about trade and consumer acceptance of our efforts. If we are unable to compete effectively, our profitability, financial condition, and operating results may decline.
Our success depends on our ability to correctly predict, identify, and interpret changes in consumer preferences and demand, to offer new products to meet those changes, and to respond to competitive innovation.
Consumer preferences for food and beverage products change continually and rapidly. Our success depends on our ability to predict, identify, and interpret the tastes and dietary habits of consumers. We must continue to offer products that appeal to consumers, including with respect to their health and wellness preferences and changing consumption patterns, such as those potentially associated with weight-loss drugs. If we do not offer products that appeal to consumers, our sales and market share will decrease, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, and operating results. Further, changing consumer preferences relating to the healthiness or desirability of ingredients, components, or substances present or allegedly present in our products or packaging could negatively impact our product sales, financial condition, and operating results if we are unsuccessful in our efforts to satisfy consumer preferences.
Moreover, weak economic conditions, recessions, inflation, severe or unusual weather events, pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, public boycotts, as well as other factors, could affect consumer preferences and demand, at times, causing a strain on our supply chain due, in part, to retailers, distributors, or carriers modifying their restocking, fulfillment, or shipping practices. Failure to adequately respond to these changes could adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
We must distinguish between short-term trends and long-term changes in consumer preferences. If we do not accurately predict which shifts in consumer preferences will be long-term, or if we fail to introduce new and improved products to satisfy those preferences, our sales could decline. In addition, because of our varied consumer base, we must offer an array of products that satisfies a broad spectrum of consumer preferences. If we fail to expand our product offerings successfully across product
categories or platforms, or if we do not rapidly develop products in faster-growing or more profitable categories, demand for our products could decrease, which could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
Prolonged negative perceptions concerning the health, environmental, or social implications of certain food and beverage products, ingredients, additives, preservatives or packaging materials could influence consumer preferences and acceptance of our products and marketing programs. Our ability to refine the ingredient and nutrition profiles of and packaging for our products as well as to maintain focus on ethical sourcing and supply chain management opportunities to address evolving consumer preferences are important to our growth. We strive to respond to consumer preferences and social expectations, but we may not be successful in our efforts. Continued negative perceptions and failure to satisfy consumer preferences could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
In addition, our growth depends on our successful development, introduction, and marketing of innovative new products and line extensions. There are inherent risks associated with new product or packaging introductions, including uncertainties about trade and consumer acceptance or potential impacts on our existing product offerings. We may be required to increase expenditures for new product development. Successful innovation depends on our ability to correctly anticipate customer and consumer acceptance, to obtain, protect, and maintain necessary intellectual property rights, and to avoid infringing upon the intellectual property rights of others. We must also be able to respond successfully to technological advances by our competitors (including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and augmented reality, which may become critical in interpreting consumer preferences in the future), and failure to do so could compromise our competitive position and impact our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
Changes in the retail landscape or the loss of key retail customers could adversely affect our financial performance.
The retail landscape has experienced, and may continue to experience, the consolidation of ownership of retailers and the presence of buying groups resulting in increased purchasing power. Retail customers, such as supermarkets, warehouse clubs, and food distributors in our major markets, may continue to consolidate, resulting in fewer but larger customers for our business across various channels. These larger customers may seek to leverage their positions to improve their profitability by demanding improved efficiency, lower pricing, more favorable terms, increased promotional programs, or specifically tailored product offerings. In addition, larger retailers have scale to develop supply chains that permit them to operate with reduced inventories or to develop and market their own private label products. Retail consolidation and increasing retailer power could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
In addition, technology-based systems, which give consumers the ability to shop through e-commerce websites and mobile commerce applications, are also significantly altering the retail landscape in many of our markets. If we are unable to adjust to developments in these changing landscapes, we may be disadvantaged in key channels and with certain consumers, which could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
Changes in our relationships with significant customers or suppliers, or in other business relationships, could adversely impact us.
We derive significant portions of our sales from certain significant customers (see Sales and Customers within Item 1, Business ). Some or all of our significant customers may not continue to purchase our products in the same mix or quantities or on the same terms as in the past, particularly as increasingly powerful retailers may demand lower pricing and focus on developing their own brands. The loss of a significant customer or a material reduction in sales or a change in the mix of products we sell to a significant customer could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
Disputes with significant suppliers, including disputes related to pricing or performance, could adversely affect our ability to supply products to our customers and could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results. In addition, terminations of relationships with other significant contractual counterparties, including licensors, could adversely affect our portfolio, product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
In addition, the financial condition of such customers, suppliers, and other significant contractual counterparties are affected in large part by conditions and events that are beyond our control. Significant deterioration in the financial conditions of significant customers or suppliers, or in other business relationships, could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
Maintaining, extending, and expanding our reputation and brand image are essential to our business success.
We have many iconic brands with long-standing consumer recognition across the globe. Our success depends on our ability to maintain brand image for our existing products, extend our brands to new platforms, and expand our brand image with new
product offerings.
We seek to maintain, extend, and expand our brand image through marketing investments, including advertising and consumer promotions, and product innovation. Negative perceptions of food and beverage marketing could adversely affect our brand image or lead to stricter regulations and scrutiny of our marketing practices. In 2025, we announced our commitment to remove Food, Drug & Cosmetic (“FD&C”) colors from our U.S. portfolio by the end of 2027. If we fail to achieve, or are perceived to have failed or been delayed in achieving, or improperly report on our progress toward achieving this goal, it could negatively affect our reputation or brand image. Moreover, adverse publicity about legal or regulatory action against us, our quality and safety, our environmental or social impacts, human capital and governance practices or positions, our products becoming unavailable to consumers, or our suppliers (including as a result of human rights issues) and, in some cases, our competitors, could damage our reputation and brand image, undermine our customers’ or consumers’ confidence, and reduce demand for our products, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations. Furthermore, existing or increased legal or regulatory restrictions on our advertising, consumer promotions, and marketing, or our response to those restrictions, could limit our efforts to maintain, extend, and expand our brands.
In addition, our success in maintaining, extending, and expanding our brand image depends on our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment. We increasingly rely on social media and online dissemination of advertising campaigns. The growing use of social and digital media increases the speed and extent that information, including misinformation, and opinions can be shared. Negative posts or comments about us, our brands or our products, or our suppliers and, in some cases, our competitors, on social or digital media, whether or not valid, could seriously damage our brands and reputation. In addition, we might fail to appropriately target our marketing efforts, anticipate consumer preferences, or invest sufficiently in maintaining and expanding our brand image. Placement of our advertisements in social and digital media may also result in damage to our brands if the media itself experiences negative publicity. If we do not maintain and expand our reputation or brand image, then our product sales, financial condition, and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.
We must leverage our brand value to compete against private label products.
In nearly all of our product categories, we compete with branded products as well as private label products, which are typically sold at lower prices. Our products must provide higher value or quality to consumers than alternatives, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. Consumers may not buy our products if relative differences in value or quality between our products and private label products change in favor of competitors’ products or if consumers perceive such a change. If consumers prefer private label products, then we could lose market share or sales volume, or our product mix could shift to lower margin offerings. A change in consumer preferences could also cause us to increase capital, marketing, and other expenditures, which could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
We may be unable to drive revenue growth in our key product categories or platforms, increase our market share, or add products that are in faster-growing and more profitable categories.
Our future results will depend on our ability to drive revenue growth in our key product categories or platforms as well as growth in the food and beverage industry in the geographies in which we operate. Our future results will also depend on our ability to enhance our portfolio by adding innovative new products in faster-growing and more profitable categories or platforms and our ability to increase market share in our existing product categories or platforms. Our failure to drive revenue growth, limit market share decreases in our key product categories or platforms, or develop innovative products for new and existing categories or platforms could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
Product recalls or other product liability claims could materially and adversely affect us.
Selling products for human consumption involves inherent legal and other risks, including product contamination, spoilage, product tampering, allergens, or other adulteration. We have decided and could in the future decide to, and have been or could in the future be required to, recall products due to suspected or confirmed product contamination, adulteration, product mislabeling or misbranding, tampering, undeclared allergens, or other deficiencies. Product recalls or market withdrawals could result in significant losses due to their costs, the destruction of product inventory, and lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time.
We could also be adversely affected if consumers lose confidence in the safety and quality of our food products or ingredients, or the food safety system generally. Adverse attention about these types of concerns, whether or not valid, may damage our reputation, discourage consumers from buying our products, or cause production and delivery disruptions that could negatively impact our net sales and financial condition.
We may also suffer losses if our products or operations violate applicable laws or regulations or if our products cause injury, illness, or death. In addition, our marketing could face claims of false or deceptive advertising or other criticism. A significant
product liability or other legal judgment or a related regulatory enforcement action against us, or a significant product recall, may materially and adversely affect our reputation and profitability. Moreover, even if a product liability or fraud claim is unsuccessful, has no merit, or is not pursued to conclusion, the negative publicity surrounding assertions against our products or processes could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
Changes in environmental conditions and responsive legislation or regulation may have a long-term adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
The gradual increase in global average temperatures is projected to contribute to significant changes in weather patterns in the regions where we and our suppliers operate, including an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters, and changes in agricultural productivity. Increased natural disasters and decreased agricultural productivity in such regions may limit the availability or increase the cost of the natural resources and commodities used in the production of our products. Changing or severe weather and environmental conditions could also affect our ability, and our suppliers’ ability, to procure necessary commodities at costs and in quantities we currently experience and may require us to increase costs or make additional unplanned capital expenditures. Further, an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters could result in disruptions for us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, co-manufacturers, and distributors and impact our employees’ abilities to commute or work from home effectively. These disruptions could make it more difficult and costly for us to deliver our products, obtain raw materials or other supplies through our supply chain, maintain or resume operations, or perform other critical corporate functions, could reduce customer demand for our products, and could increase the cost of insurance.
Additionally, there is a heightened focus by foreign, federal, state, and local regulatory and legislative bodies regarding environmental policies relating to a changing environment, including as a result of climate change, such as regulating greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon pricing or a carbon tax), energy policies, and disclosure obligations. Increased energy or compliance costs and expenses due to, and additional legal or regulatory requirements regarding, changing environmental conditions and climate change could be costly and may cause disruptions in, or an increase in the costs associated with, the running of our manufacturing and processing facilities and our business, as well as increase distribution and supply chain costs. Moreover, compliance with any such legal or regulatory requirements may require us to make significant changes to our business operations and long-term operating plans, which will likely incur substantial time, attention, and costs. Even if we make changes to align ourselves with such legal or regulatory requirements, we may still be subject to significant penalties if such laws and regulations are interpreted and applied in a manner inconsistent with our practices. The effects of a changing environment and responsive legal or regulatory initiatives could have a long-term adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Finally, we might face increasing scrutiny from the media, stockholders, activists, customers, enforcement authorities and other stakeholders who have conflicting views on climate change and other sustainability-related matters. Our published activities, progress, objectives, and priorities on these topics may not satisfy all of our stakeholders and could result in adverse publicity or legal liability and negatively affect consumer preferences for our products, investor confidence in our stock, and our business and reputation. Additionally, we may become the target of litigation, investigations, or other proceedings initiated by government authorities or private actors alleging that our activities or positions related to sustainability-related matters are anti-competitive, discriminatory or otherwise unlawful. From time to time we establish and publicly announce sustainability-related goals, commitments, and aspirations, including to reduce our impact on the environment. Our ability to achieve any stated goal or objective is subject to numerous factors and conditions, many of which are outside of our control. Examples of such factors include evolving regulatory requirements affecting sustainability standards or disclosures or imposing different requirements, the pace of changes in technology, the availability of requisite financing, and the availability of suppliers that can meet our sustainability and other standards. Furthermore, standards for tracking and reporting, as well as our processes and controls for reporting sustainability and other matters across our organization continue to evolve. Sustainability-related disclosures that may be required by the European Union and other foreign, federal, state, and local regulatory and legislative bodies (including, but not limited to, the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the state of California’s climate disclosure requirements), may change over time, which could result in significant revisions to our current goals, reported progress in achieving such goals, or ability to achieve such goals in the future.
Business Risks
The Separation is subject to various risks and uncertainties, involves significant time, expense, and resources and may be further delayed or we may decide to cease work related to the Separation entirely.
On September 2, 2025, we announced our intention to separate our company into two independent publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off. On February 11, 2026, we announced that the Board has decided to pause work related to the Separation. If work related to the Separation is resumed, the Separation would be subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including final approval by the Board, receipt of favorable tax opinions of our U.S. tax advisors with respect to the tax-free nature of the Separation, and the effectiveness of appropriate filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. The failure to satisfy any of the required conditions could further delay the completion of the Separation or prevent it from occurring at all.
The Separation is complex in nature, and unanticipated developments or changes, including changes in the law, macroeconomic environment, regulatory and political conditions and competitive conditions of our markets, the need both to receive regulatory approvals or clearances and to satisfy the requirements to effectuate a generally tax-free transaction, the uncertainty of the financial markets and challenges in executing the Separation, could further delay or prevent the completion of the Separation or cause the Separation to occur on terms or conditions that are different or less favorable than expected. Any changes to the Separation or further delay in completing the Separation could cause us not to realize some or all of the expected benefits, or realize them on a different timeline than currently expected. Further, our Board could decide, either because of a failure of conditions or because of market or other factors, to further delay or abandon the Separation. No assurance can be given as to whether and when the Separation will occur.
Whether or not we complete the Separation, our ongoing business may be adversely affected and we may be subject to certain risks and consequences if we pursue the Separation, including the following:
• The process of completing the Separation will be time-consuming and involve significant additional costs and expenses, which may not yield a discernible benefit if the Separation is not completed, and pausing efforts on the Separation could lead to higher execution costs and expenses, if we resume efforts to pursue the Separation, than we would have otherwise incurred without such pause.
• Executing the Separation will require significant time and attention from our senior management and employees, which may divert management’s attention from operating and growing our business and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
• We may also experience increased difficulties in attracting, retaining, and motivating employees during the pendency of the Separation and following completion of the Separation, which could harm our businesses.
• The assumptions underlying expectations regarding the integration process, including with respect to the Separation may prove to be faulty and/or inaccurate.
• Some of our customers or suppliers may delay or defer decisions or may end their relationships with us.
• We may experience negative reactions from the financial markets if we fail to complete the Separation or fail to complete it on a timely basis.
• The announcement of the Separation, and any changes regarding the timing of the Separation, may create greater volatility in the trading price of our shares and potentially cause market prices to decline.
Any of the above factors could cause the Separation (or the failure to execute the Separation) to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
The Separation if completed, may not achieve the anticipated benefits and will expose us to new risks.
We may not realize the anticipated strategic, financial, operational, or other benefits from the Separation if completed. We cannot predict with certainty when the benefits expected from the Separation will occur or the extent to which they will be achieved. If the Separation is completed, our operational and financial profile will change and we will face new risks. As independent, publicly traded companies, the newly created companies will each be smaller, less-diversified companies and may be more vulnerable to changing market conditions. There is no assurance that following the Separation each separated company will be successful. The announcement and/or completion of the Separation, as well as any delays relating to the completion of the Separation, may cause uncertainty for or disruptions with our customers, partners, suppliers, and employees, which may negatively impact these relationships or our operations. In addition, we will incur one-time costs and ongoing costs in connection with, or as a result of, the Separation, including costs of operating as independent, publicly-traded companies that the two businesses will no longer be able to share. Those costs may exceed our estimates or could negate some of the benefits we expect to realize. Further, our future effective tax rate, which is impacted by a number of factors including changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in geographic mix of income, changes in expenses not deductible for tax, and changes in available tax credits, may be negatively impacted for each separated company due to deviations in these factors from our current estimates, such as changes to our current assessments of the realization of existing deferred tax assets. If we do not realize the intended benefits or if our costs exceed our estimates, the separated businesses could suffer a material adverse effect on their respective business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
The Separation if completed, may adversely impact our ability to access the capital markets and our cost of capital.
The Separation may have the effect of, among other things:
• Requiring us to dedicate significant cash flow to our debt, including, without limitation, the payment of principal and interest, payment of costs associated with the refinancing, repayment, redemption, repurchase, defeasance, discharge or exchange of the Company’s outstanding debt, and payment of costs associated with the Separation, which will
reduce funds we have available for other purposes.
• Exposing us to interest rate risk at the time of refinancing outstanding debt or on the portion of our debt obligations that are issued at variable rates.
• Increasing the borrowing costs associated with the re-allocation or taking on of new debt.
• Although we expect to maintain investment grade ratings, resulting in downgrades of our credit ratings leading to increased borrowing costs to the Company.
Our primary sources of liquidity to finance operations, including stock repurchases and dividends on our common stock, is cash generated by our businesses and access to the debt capital markets. Further, in connection with the Separation, we may repay, redeem, repurchase, defease, discharge or exchange some or all of our senior notes, of which there are approximately $20.9 billion aggregate principal amount outstanding, with maturities in years starting in 2026 through 2050. If our ability to continue to raise money in the debt capital markets is impaired, or if there is a significant increase in the cost of debt, there could be an adverse effect on our liquidity. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or maintain access to adequate external financing, it could impact our current operations, activities under our current and future stock buyback programs, and our growth opportunities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
If the Separation and/or certain related transactions do not qualify as transactions that are generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we and our stockholders could be subject to significant tax liabilities.
Notwithstanding that we intend to structure the Separation to generally be a tax-free transaction, there is no assurance that the spin-off and/or certain related transactions will qualify for this treatment. If the spin-off and/or certain related transactions are completed and are ultimately determined to be taxable, we and our stockholders could be subject to significant U.S. federal income taxes.
Following the Separation, the price of shares of the Company’s common stock may fluctuate significantly.
The Company cannot predict the effect of the Separation on the trading price of shares of its common stock, and the market value of shares of its common stock may be less than, equal to or greater than the market value of shares of its common stock prior to the Separation. In addition, the price of the Company’s common stock may be more volatile around the time of the Separation.
We may not successfully identify, complete, or realize the benefits from strategic acquisitions, divestitures, alliances, joint ventures, or investments.
From time to time, we have evaluated and may continue to evaluate acquisition candidates, divestiture opportunities, alliances, joint ventures, or investments that may strategically fit our business objectives. These activities may present financial managerial, and operational risks including, but not limited to, diversion of management’s attention from existing core businesses; adverse effects on existing or acquired customer and supplier business relationships; and potential disputes with buyers, sellers, or partners. Further, such activities in certain areas are regulated by numerous antitrust and competition laws in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. We have in the past and may in the future be required to obtain approval of these transactions by competition authorities or to satisfy other legal requirements, and we may be unable to obtain such approvals or satisfy such requirements, each of which may result in additional costs, time delays, or our inability to complete such transactions, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
To the extent we undertake acquisitions, alliances, joint ventures, or investments we may face difficulties integrating, or be unable to integrate, the new business operations within our current sourcing, distribution, information technology systems, and control environment. Additionally, we may face risks related to the integration of personnel. Further, for these activities which occur in foreign jurisdiction, we may be subject to additional risks as discussed below under the risk factor titled “ Our international operations subject us to additional risks and costs and may cause our profitability to decline. ”
To the extent we pursue divestiture opportunities, we may face additional risks related to such activities. For example, risks related to our ability to find appropriate buyers, obtain applicable regulatory and governmental approvals, execute transactions on favorable terms, separate divested business operations with minimal impact to our remaining operations, and effectively manage any transitional service arrangements. Further, our divestiture activities have in the past required, and may in the future require, us to recognize impairment charges. Any of these factors could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
We may not successfully complete any planned strategic initiatives, including achieving any previously announced productivity efficiencies and financial targets, any new business may not be profitable or meet our expectations, or any divestiture may not be completed without disruption. Any of these challenges could hinder our success in new markets or new distribution
channels, and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Our international operations subject us to additional risks and costs and may cause our profitability to decline.
We are a global company with sales and operations in numerous countries within developed and emerging markets. Approximately 33% of our 2025 net sales were generated outside of the United States. As a result, we are subject to risks inherent in global operations. These risks, which can vary substantially by market, are described in many of the risk factors discussed in this section, and also include:
• compliance with U.S. laws affecting operations outside of the United States, including anti-bribery and corruption laws such as the FCPA;
• changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, tax laws or their interpretations, or tax audit implications;
• the imposition of increased or new tariffs, quotas, trade barriers, or similar restrictions on our sales or imports (including those that may affect our sourcing operations and the availability of raw materials and commodities), trade agreements, regulations, taxes, or policies that might negatively affect our sales or costs;
• foreign currency devaluations or fluctuations in foreign currency values, including risks arising from the significant and rapid fluctuations in foreign currency exchange markets and the decisions made and positions taken to hedge such volatility;
• compliance with antitrust and competition laws, data privacy laws, human rights laws, and a variety of other local, national, and multi-national regulations and laws in multiple jurisdictions;
• discriminatory or conflicting fiscal policies in or across foreign jurisdictions;
• changes in capital controls, including foreign currency exchange controls, governmental foreign currency policies, or other limits on our ability to import raw materials or finished product into various countries or repatriate cash from outside the United States;
• challenges associated with cross-border product distribution, including economic sanctions, export controls, and labor restrictions;
• changes in local regulations and laws, the uncertainty of enforcement of remedies in foreign jurisdictions, and foreign ownership restrictions and the potential for nationalization or expropriation of property or other resources;
• risks and costs associated with political and economic instability, military conflict, corruption, anti-American sentiment, and social and ethnic unrest in the countries in which we operate;
• the risks of operating in developing or emerging markets in which there are significant uncertainties regarding the interpretation, application, and enforceability of laws and regulations and the enforceability of contract rights and intellectual property rights;
• changing labor conditions and difficulties in staffing our operations;
• greater risk of uncollectible accounts or trade receivables and longer collection cycles; and
• design, implementation, and use of effective control environment processes across our various operations and employee base.
Slow economic growth, inflation, or high unemployment in the markets in which we operate could constrain consumer spending, and declining consumer purchasing power could adversely impact our profitability. Any of these factors could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our intellectual property rights are valuable, and any inability to protect them could reduce the value of our products and brands.
We consider our intellectual property rights, particularly and most notably our trademarks, but also our patents, trade secrets, trade dress, copyrights, and licensing agreements, to be a significant and valuable aspect of our business. We attempt to protect our intellectual property rights through a combination of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and trade dress laws, as well as licensing agreements, third-party nondisclosure and assignment agreements, policing of third-party misuses of our intellectual property, and securing our information technology systems. Our failure to develop or adequately protect our trademarks, products, new features of our products, or our technology, or any change in law or other changes that serve to lessen or remove the current legal protections of our intellectual property, may diminish our competitiveness and could materially and adversely affect our product sales, business, and financial condition. We also license certain intellectual property, most notably trademarks, from third parties. To the extent that we are not able to contract with these third parties on favorable terms or maintain our relationships with these third parties, our rights to use certain intellectual property could be impacted, which may adversely impact our results from operations.
We may be unaware of intellectual property rights of others that may cover some of our technology, brands, or products. Any
litigation regarding patents or other intellectual property could be costly and time-consuming and could divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement might also require us to enter into costly license agreements. We also may be subject to significant damages or injunctions against development and sale of certain products.
We may be unable to realize the anticipated benefits from prior or future initiatives to reduce fixed costs, simplify or improve processes, or improve our competitiveness.
We have evaluated and implemented a number of strategic initiatives with the intention of enabling us to reduce costs, improve productivity, and improve our competitiveness. Our future success may depend upon our ability to realize the benefits of these or other cost-saving initiatives. In addition, certain of our initiatives may lead to increased costs in other aspects of our business such as increased conversion, outsourcing, or distribution costs. We must accurately predict anticipated costs and be efficient in executing any plans to achieve these initiatives. To capitalize on our efforts, we must carefully evaluate investments in our business and execute in those areas with the most potential return on investment, and operate efficiently in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, particularly in an environment of increased competition. If we are unable to realize the anticipated benefits from these efforts, we could be cost disadvantaged in the marketplace, and our competitiveness, production, profitability, financial condition, and operating results could be adversely affected.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has the ability to exert influence over us and significant influence over matters requiring stockholder approval.
As of January 16, 2026, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (“Berkshire Hathaway”) owns approximately 27.5% of our common stock. As a result, Berkshire Hathaway has influence over any action requiring the approval of the holders of our common stock, including adopting any amendments to our charter, electing directors, and approving mergers or sales of substantially all of our capital stock or assets. In addition, Berkshire Hathaway is in the business of making investments in companies and may from time to time acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. Berkshire Hathaway may also pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those opportunities may not be available to us.
Financial Risks
Our level of indebtedness, as well as our ability to comply with covenants under our debt instruments, could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We have a substantial amount of indebtedness and are permitted to incur a substantial amount of additional indebtedness, including secured debt. Our existing debt, together with any incurrence of additional indebtedness, could have important consequences, including, but not limited to:
• increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
• limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, research and development, debt service requirements, acquisitions, and general corporate or other purposes;
• resulting in a downgrade to our credit rating, which could adversely affect our cost of funds, including our commercial paper programs, liquidity, and access to capital markets;
• restricting us from making strategic acquisitions or causing us to make non-strategic divestitures;
• limiting our ability to adjust to changing market conditions and place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who are not as highly leveraged;
• making it more difficult for us to make payments on our existing indebtedness;
• requiring a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, thereby reducing our ability to use our cash flow to fund our operations, payments of dividends, capital expenditures, stock repurchases, and future business opportunities;
• exposing us to risks related to fluctuations in foreign currency, as we earn profits in a variety of foreign currencies and the majority of our debt is denominated in U.S. dollars; and
• in the case of any additional indebtedness, exacerbating the risks associated with our substantial financial leverage.
In addition, we may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations or future debt or equity financings may not be available to us to enable us to pay our indebtedness or to fund other needs. As a result, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity. We may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on favorable terms, or at all. Any inability to generate sufficient cash flow or to refinance our indebtedness on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
Our debt instruments contain customary representations, warranties, and covenants, including a financial covenant in our senior
unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Senior Credit Facility”) to maintain a minimum shareholders’ equity balance (excluding accumulated other comprehensive income/(losses)). The creditors who hold our debt could accelerate amounts due in the event that we default, which could potentially trigger a default or acceleration of the maturity of our other debt. If our operating performance declines, or if we are unable to comply with any covenant, such as our ability to timely prepare and file our periodic reports with the SEC, we have in the past needed and may in the future need to obtain waivers from the required creditors under our debt instruments to avoid being in default.
If we breach any covenants under our debt instruments and seek a waiver, we may not be able to obtain a waiver from the required creditors, or we may not be able to remedy compliance within the terms of any waivers approved by the required creditors. If this occurs, we would be in default under our debt instruments and unable to access our Senior Credit Facility. In addition, certain creditors could exercise their rights, as described above, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.
Additional impairments of the carrying amounts of goodwill or other indefinite-lived intangible assets could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.
As of December 27, 2025, we maintain 10 reporting units globally, six of which comprise our goodwill balance. Our indefinite-lived intangible asset balance primarily consists of a number of individual brands . As of December 27, 2025 , we had goodwill and intangible assets with a total carrying amount of $59.7 billion . In 2025 , we recorded non-cash goodwill impairment losses of $9.3 billion related to these assets. We test our reporting units and brands for impairment annually as of the first day of our third quarter, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit or brand is less than its carrying amount. Such events and circumstances could include a sustained decrease in our market capitalization, increased competition or unexpected loss of market share, increased input costs beyond projections, disposals of significant brands or components of our business, unexpected business disruptions (for example due to a natural disaster, pandemic, or loss of a customer, supplier, or other significant business relationship), unexpected significant declines in operating results, significant adverse changes in the markets in which we operate, changes in income tax rates, changes in interest rates, or changes in management strategy. We test reporting units for impairment by comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount. We test brands for impairment by comparing the estimated fair value of each brand with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit or brand exceeds its estimated fair value, we record an impairment loss based on the difference between fair value and carrying amount, in the case of reporting units, not to exceed the associated carrying amount of goodwill.
Reporting units and brands that have 20% or less excess fair value over carrying amount as of the 2025 annual impairment test performed as of June 29, 2025 had an aggregate carrying value of $37.2 billion as of the date of 2025 annual impairment test. These reporting units and brands have a heightened risk of future impairments if any assumptions, estimates, or market factors change in the future. Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates, and market factors. Estimating the fair value of individual reporting units and brands requires us to make assumptions and estimates regarding our future plans, as well as industry, economic, and regulatory conditions, and to consider the market multiples of certain peer and guideline companies. These assumptions and estimates include estimated future annual cash flows (including net sales, cost of products sold, SG&A, depreciation and amortization, working capital, and capital expenditures), income tax rates, discount rates, long-term growth rates, royalty rates, contributory asset charges, and other market factors. If current expectations of future growth rates and margins are not met, if market factors outside of our control change; such as discount rates, market capitalization, income tax rates, foreign currency exchange rates, or inflation, or if management’s expectations or plans otherwise change, including updates to our long-term operating plans, then one or more of our reporting units or brands might become impaired in the future, which could negatively affect our operating results or net worth. Furthermore, changes in reporting units, including as a result of integrating a new acquisition into an existing reporting unit that has a fair value below carrying amount of goodwill, have led, and could in the future lead, to an impairment of goodwill. Additionally, any decisions to divest certain non-strategic assets could lead to future goodwill or intangible asset impairments. See Note 9, Goodwill and Intangible Assets in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data and Critical Accounting Estimates in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations , for additional information on our goodwill and intangible assets.
Our net sales and net income may be exposed to foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
We derive a substantial portion of our net sales from international markets. We hold assets, incur liabilities, earn revenue, and pay expenses in a variety of currencies other than the U.S. dollar, primarily the Canadian dollar, euro, British pound sterling, Australian dollar, Brazilian real, Chinese renminbi, Russian ruble, Indonesian rupiah, and New Zealand dollar. Since our consolidated financial statements are reported in U.S. dollars, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates from period to period, which have been more volatile recently, will have an impact on our reported results. We have implemented foreign currency hedges intended to reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. However, these hedging strategies may not be successful, and any of our unhedged foreign exchange exposures will continue to be subject to market fluctuations. In addition, in certain circumstances, we may incur costs in one currency related to services or products for which
we are paid in a different currency. As a result, factors associated with our international operations, including changes in foreign currency exchange rates, could significantly affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Commodity, energy, and other input prices are volatile and could negatively affect our consolidated operating results.
We purchase and use large quantities of commodities, including dairy products, meat products, sugar and other sweeteners, coffee, tomato products, soybean and vegetable oils, eggs, other fruits and vegetables, and wheat and processed grains to manufacture our products. In addition, we purchase and use significant quantities of plastics, resin, cardboard, glass, paper and metal to package our products, and we use other inputs, such as electricity, natural gas, and water, to operate our facilities. We are also exposed to changes in oil prices, including diesel fuel, which influence both our packaging and transportation costs. Prices for commodities, energy, and other supplies are volatile and can fluctuate due to conditions that are difficult to predict, particularly due to inflationary pressures, due in part to changes in governmental regulation, including the recent tariff and trade policy actions taken by the United States and foreign governments. Further, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, input cost volatility due global competition for resources, foreign currency fluctuations, geopolitical conditions or conflicts, cybersecurity incidents, severe weather, natural disasters, global climate change, water risk, pandemics, crop failures, crop shortages due to plant disease or insect and other pest infestation, changes in consumer demand, alternative energy initiatives, including increased demand for biofuels, and agricultural programs. Additionally, we may be unable to maintain favorable arrangements with respect to the costs of procuring raw materials, packaging, services, and transporting products, which could result in increased expenses and negatively affect our operations. Furthermore, the cost of raw materials and finished products may fluctuate due to changes in cross-currency transaction rates. Rising commodity, energy, and other input costs could materially and adversely affect our cost of operations, including the manufacture, transportation, and distribution of our products, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
Although we monitor our exposure to commodity and other input prices as an integral part of our overall risk management program, and seek to hedge against input price increases to the extent we deem appropriate, we do not fully hedge against changes in commodity prices, and our hedging strategies may not protect us from increases in specific raw materials costs. For example, hedging our costs for one of our key commodities, dairy products, is difficult because dairy futures markets are not as liquid as many other commodities futures markets. Continued volatility or sustained increases in the prices of commodities and other supplies we purchase could increase the costs of our products, and our profitability could suffer. Moreover, increases in the prices of our products to cover these increased costs may result in lower sales volumes, or we may be constrained from increasing the prices of our products by competitive and consumer pressures. If we are not successful in our hedging activities, or if we are unable to price our products to cover increased costs, then commodity and other input price volatility or increases could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
In 2025, we experienced increased inflationary pressures in our supply chain costs compared to the prior year period, due in part to the tariff and trade policy actions taken by the United States and foreign governments during the year. We expect these inflationary trends to moderate through 2026, although there continues to be significant uncertainty. Although we take measures to mitigate the impact of this inflation through pricing actions and efficiency initiatives, if these measures are not effective our financial condition, operating results, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. Even if such measures are effective, we expect that there could be a difference between the timing of when these beneficial actions impact our results of operations and when the cost inflation is incurred. Additionally, the pricing actions we take have, in some instances, negatively impacted and could continue to negatively impact our market share.
Volatility in the market value of all or a portion of the derivatives we use to manage exposures to fluctuations in commodity prices may cause volatility in our gross profit and net income.
We use commodity futures, options, and swaps to economically hedge the price of certain input costs, including dairy products, vegetable oils, coffee beans, corn, wheat products, sugar cane and meat products. We recognize gains and losses based on changes in the values of these commodity derivatives. We recognize these gains and losses in cost of products sold in our consolidated statements of income. We recognize the unrealized gains and losses on these commodity derivatives in general corporate expenses until realized; once realized, the gains and losses are recorded in the applicable segment’s operating results. Accordingly, changes in the values of our commodity derivatives may cause volatility in our gross profit and net income.
Regulatory Risks
Our compliance with laws and regulations, and related legal claims or regulatory enforcement actions, could expose us to significant liabilities and damage our reputation.
As a large, global food and beverage company, we operate in a highly regulated environment with constantly evolving legal and regulatory frameworks. Various laws and regulations govern our practices including, but not limited to, those related to advertising and marketing, product claims and labeling, food production and nutritional requirements, environmental matters (including climate change), packaging and waste management (including packaging containing PFAS), intellectual property,
consumer protection and product liability, commercial disputes, trade and export controls, anti-trust, data privacy, labor and employment, workplace health and safety, forced labor, and tax. As a consequence, we face a heightened risk of legal claims and regulatory enforcement actions in the ordinary course of business. In addition, the imposition of new laws, changes in laws or regulatory requirements or changing interpretations thereof, and differing or competing regulations and standards across the markets where our products are made, manufactured, distributed, and sold have in the past and could continue to result in higher compliance costs, capital expenditures, and higher production costs, adversely impacting our product sales, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, claims about the health impacts of consumption of our products, or ingredients, additives, preservatives, components, or substances present or allegedly present in those products or packaging, including in connection with the development, manufacture, and marketing of our products, have resulted in, and could in the future result in, us being subject to regulations, fines, lawsuits (including but not limited to pending litigation alleging that certain of our products are “ultra-processed” and consuming them causes adverse health impacts, allegations with which we strongly disagree), or taxes, or may cause us to change the way in which we operate which could adversely impact our profitability, financial condition, or operating results.
As a result of any such legal claims or regulatory enforcement actions, we could be subject to monetary judgments, settlements, and civil and criminal actions, including fines, injunctions, product recalls, penalties, disgorgement of profits, or activity restrictions, which could materially and adversely affect our reputation, product sales, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. We evaluate these legal claims and regulatory enforcement actions to assess the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes and to estimate, if possible, the amount of potential losses. Based on these assessments and estimates, we establish reserves and disclose relevant material litigation claims, legal proceedings, or regulatory enforcement actions as appropriate and in accordance with SEC rules and accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Our assessments and estimates are based on the information available to management at the time and involve a significant amount of judgment. Actual outcomes or losses may differ materially from our current assessments and estimates. In addition, even if a claim is unsuccessful, without merit, or not pursued to completion, the cost of defending against or responding to such a claim, including expenses and management time, could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately and timely report our financial results, which could negatively impact our business, investor confidence, and the price of our common stock.
If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures, our ability to record, process, and report financial information accurately and to prepare financial statements within required time periods could be adversely affected, which could subject us to litigation, investigations, or penalties; negatively affect our liquidity, our access to capital markets, perceptions of our creditworthiness, our ability to complete acquisitions, our ability to maintain compliance with covenants under our debt instruments or derivative arrangements regarding the timely filing of periodic reports, or investor confidence in our financial reporting; or cause defaults, accelerations, or cross-accelerations under our debt instruments or derivative arrangements to the extent we are unable to obtain waivers from the required creditors or counterparties or to cure any breaches, any of which may require management resources or cause our stock price to decline.
A downgrade in our credit rating could adversely impact interest costs or access to future borrowings.
Our borrowing costs can be affected by short and long-term credit ratings assigned by rating organizations. A decrease in these credit ratings could limit our access to capital markets and increase our borrowing costs, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operating results. As of the date of this filing, our long-term debt is rated BBB with a stable outlook from S&P Global Ratings, BBB with a rating watch negative outlook from Fitch Ratings, and Baa2 with ratings under review for downgrade from Moody’s Investor Services, Inc.
Registered Securities Risks
Sales of our common stock in the public market could cause volatility in the price of our common stock or cause the share price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, including sales of our common stock by Berkshire Hathaway, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our common stock, and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. A sustained depression in the market price of our common stock has happened and could in the future happen, which could also reduce our market capitalization below the book value of net assets, which could increase the likelihood of recognizing goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment losses that could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Kraft Heinz and Berkshire Hathaway are party to a registration rights agreement requiring us to register for resale under the Securities Act all registrable shares held by Berkshire Hathaway, which represents all shares of our common stock held by Berkshire Hathaway as of the date of the closing of the 2015 Merger. As of January 16, 2026, registrable shares represented approximately 27.5% of all outstanding shares of our common stock. Although the registrable shares are subject to certain
holdback and suspension periods, the registrable shares are not subject to a “lock-up” or similar restriction under the registration rights agreement. Accordingly, offers and sales of a large number of registrable shares may be made pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act in accordance with the terms of the registration rights agreement. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement, on January 20, 2026, we filed a prospectus supplement with the SEC to register for resale up to 325,442,152 shares of our common stock held by Berkshire Hathaway. The filing of the prospectus supplement was made solely to register these shares for resale, does not itself constitute a sale of any shares, and does not necessarily mean that Berkshire Hathaway will sell any or all of the registered shares. If any of these registered shares are sold, we will not receive any proceeds from those sales. Because the registered shares represent a significant portion of the outstanding shares of our common stock, any future sales by Berkshire Hathaway could materially increase the number of shares being traded in the public market and may materially increase the volatility of, and cause a decrease in, the price of our common stock. In addition, the filing of the prospectus supplement and the perception of future sales by Berkshire Hathaway have already contributed to increased volatility of our common stock and could continue to affect the volatility of our common stock in the future.
Our share repurchase program may not be fully consummated and the anticipated enhanced long-term stockholder value may not be realized, and share repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our stock.
In November 2023, the Board authorized the Company to repurchase up to $3.0 billion, exclusive of fees, of our outstanding common stock through December 26, 2026. As of December 27, 2025, we had remaining authorization under the share repurchase program of approximately $1.5 billion. Our repurchase program does not obligate us to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of shares. The timing and amount of any repurchases, if any, will depend on factors such as our historical and expected business performance and cash and liquidity positions, the price of our stock, economic and market conditions, and corporate and regulatory requirements. Our share repurchase program could affect the price of our stock and increase volatility and may be suspended or terminated at any time. We cannot guarantee that we will repurchase shares or conduct future share repurchase programs, or that any such programs, even if fully implemented, will result in long-term increases to stockholder value. Any failure to fully implement our repurchase program may negatively impact our reputation, investor confidence, and the price of the Company’s common stock.
Our ability to pay regular dividends to our stockholders and the amounts of any such dividends are subject to the discretion of the Board and may be limited by our financial condition, debt agreements, or limitations under Delaware law.
Although it is currently anticipated that we will continue to pay regular quarterly dividends, any such determination to pay dividends and the amounts thereof will be at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent on then-existing conditions, including our financial condition, income, legal requirements, including limitations under Delaware law, debt agreements, and other factors the Board deems relevant. The Board has previously decided, and may in the future decide, in its sole discretion, to change the amount or frequency of dividends or discontinue the payment of dividends entirely. For these reasons, stockholders will not be able to rely on dividends to receive a return on investment. Accordingly, realization of any gain on shares of our common stock may depend on the appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may not occur.
General Risk Factors
Disruptions in the global economy caused by geopolitical conflicts could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Escalation of geopolitical tensions related to military conflict, including increased trade barriers or restrictions on global trade, could result in, among other things, supply chain disruptions, changes in consumer demand, increased cyberattacks, and impacts on foreign exchange rates and financial markets, any of which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Although we do not have operations in Ukraine, and our business in Russia generated approximately 1% of our consolidated net sales for the year ended December 27, 2025, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine has caused, and could continue to cause, negative impacts on our business and the global economy. Governments in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and European Union have each imposed export controls and economic sanctions on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. Further, the Russian government has placed restrictions on the transfer of funds to and from Russian entities, making it more difficult to operate in Russia and to repatriate cash to other jurisdictions from our Russian business, which had a cash and cash equivalents balance equal to approximately $140 million as of December 27, 2025. Failure to comply with applicable sanctions and measures could subject us to regulatory penalties, temporary or permanent loss of assets, or our ability to conduct business operations in Russia. While less than 1% of consolidated total assets are located in Russia as of December 27, 2025, our Russian assets may be partially or fully impaired in future periods, or our business operations terminated, based on actions taken by Russia, other parties, or us. The effects of current geopolitical conflicts as well as potential future geopolitical tensions, could heighten many of our known risks described in this Item 1A, Risk Factors .
Unanticipated business disruptions and natural events in the locations in which we or our customers, suppliers, distributors,
or regulators operate could adversely affect our ability to provide products to our customers or our results of operations.
We have a complex network of suppliers, owned and leased manufacturing locations, co-manufacturing locations, distribution networks, and information systems that support our ability to consistently provide our products to our customers. Factors that are hard to predict or beyond our control, such as weather or other geological events or natural disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, or wild fires (whether as a result of climate change or otherwise), raw material shortages, fires or explosions, political unrest, geopolitical conflicts, terrorism, civil strife, acts of war, public corruption, expropriation, generalized labor unrest or labor shortages, cybersecurity incidents, or pandemics, could damage or disrupt our operations or the operations of our customers, suppliers, vendors, co-manufacturers, distributors, or regulators. These factors include, but are not limited to:
• natural disasters, labor strikes, or other disruptions at any of our facilities or our suppliers’ or distributors’ facilities may impair or delay the delivery of our products; and
• illness of our workforce, or the workforce of third parties with which we do business, due to influenza or pandemics, could disrupt production of our products in one or more of our manufacturing facilities, or cause our suppliers, vendors, distributors, or third-party manufacturers to fail to meet their obligations to us.
These or other disruptions may require additional resources to restore our supply chain or distribution network. While we insure against many of these events and certain business interruption risks and have policies and procedures to manage business continuity planning, such insurance may not compensate us for any losses incurred and our business continuity plans may not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner. To the extent we are unable to respond to disruptions in our operations, whether by finding alternative suppliers or replacing capacity at key manufacturing or distribution locations; to quickly repair damage to our information, production, or supply systems; or to financially mitigate the likelihood or potential impact of such events, or effectively manage them if they occur, we may be late in delivering, or unable to deliver, products to our customers or to track orders, inventory, receivables, and payables. If that occurs, our customers’ confidence in us and long-term demand for our products could decline. Any of these events could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our performance may be adversely affected by economic and political conditions in the United States and in various other nations where we do business.
Our performance has been in the past and may continue in the future to be impacted by economic and political conditions in the United States and in other nations where we do business. Economic and financial uncertainties in our international markets, changes to major international trade arrangements, and the imposition of increased or new tariffs by the U.S. federal government, as well as retaliatory tariffs by certain foreign governments have negatively impacted, and could continue to negatively impact our operations and sales. Other factors impacting our operations in the United States and in international locations where we do business include changes in laws, export and import restrictions, foreign currency exchange rates, foreign currency devaluation, cash repatriation restrictions, recessionary conditions, governmental subsidies provided to our consumers such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) in the U.S., foreign ownership restrictions, nationalization, the impact of hyperinflationary environments, a potential U.S. federal government shutdown, terrorist acts, political unrest, and military conflict. Such factors in either domestic or foreign jurisdictions, and our responses to them, could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
We rely on our management team and other key personnel and may be unable to hire or retain key personnel or a highly skilled and diverse global workforce.
We depend on the skills, working relationships, and continued services of key personnel, including our experienced management team. In addition, our ability to achieve our operating goals depends on our ability to identify, hire, train, and retain qualified individuals. We compete with other companies both within and outside of our industry for talented personnel, and we may lose key personnel or fail to attract, train, and retain other talented personnel and a diverse global workforce with the skills and in the locations we need to operate and grow our business. Unplanned turnover, failure to attract and develop personnel with key emerging capabilities or failure to develop adequate succession plans for leadership positions, including the Chief Executive Officer position, could deplete our institutional knowledge base and erode our competitiveness. Additionally, the Separation, including any failure to adequately address the plans for leadership positions for the two independent companies post-Separation, may cause us to experience increased difficulties in attracting, retaining, and motivating employees during the pendency of the Separation and following completion of the Separation, and harm our businesses. Further, equity-based compensation is a key component of our compensation program and essential for attracting and retaining qualified personnel. As a result, the lack of positive performance in our stock price may adversely affect our ability to attract or retain key personnel. Changes in immigration laws and policies could also make it more difficult for us to recruit or relocate skilled employees. Any such loss, failure, or limitation could adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.
We are significantly dependent on information technology, and we may be unable to protect our information systems against
service interruption, misappropriation of data, or breaches of security.
We rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit, and store electronic and financial information, to manage a variety of business processes and activities, and to comply with regulatory, legal, and tax requirements. We also depend on our information technology infrastructure for digital marketing activities and for electronic communications among our locations, personnel, customers, and suppliers. These information technology systems, some of which are managed by third parties, may be susceptible to damage, invasions, disruptions, or shutdowns due to hardware failures, computer viruses, hacker attacks and other cybersecurity risks, telecommunication failures, user errors, catastrophic events, or other factors. Geopolitical tensions or conflicts, and the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may further heighten the risk of cybersecurity attacks. If our information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption, or shutdown, by unintentional or malicious actions of employees or contractors or by cyberattacks, and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, we could experience business disruptions, reputational damage, transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, the leakage of confidential information, and the loss of customers and sales, causing our product sales, financial condition, and operating results to be adversely affected and the reporting of our financial results to be delayed. While we have developed and implemented security measures and internal controls designed to protect against cyber and other security threats, such measures cannot provide absolute security and may not be successful in preventing future security breaches. Moreover, these threats are constantly evolving, thereby making it more difficult to successfully defend against them or to implement adequate preventative measures. We may not have the current capability to detect certain vulnerabilities, which may allow those vulnerabilities to persist in our systems over long periods of time. Additionally, it may take considerable time for us to investigate and evaluate the full impact of incidents, particularly for sophisticated attacks. These factors may inhibit our ability to provide prompt, full, and reliable information about the incident to our customers, partners, regulators, and the public. In the past, we have experienced security incidents resulting from unauthorized access to or use of our systems or those of third parties, which to date, have not had a material impact on our operations; however, there is no assurance that the impact of any security incidents will not be material in the future.
In addition, if we are unable to prevent security breaches or disclosure of non-public information, we may suffer financial and reputational damage, litigation or remediation costs, fines, or penalties because of the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information belonging to us or to our partners, customers, consumers, or suppliers. While we maintain a cyber insurance policy that provides coverage for security incidents, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred, that insurance will continue to be available to us on financially reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim.
Misuse, leakage, or falsification of information could result in violations of data privacy laws and regulations, damage to our reputation and credibility, loss of opportunities to acquire or divest of businesses or brands, and loss of our ability to commercialize products developed through research and development efforts and, therefore, could have a negative impact on net sales. In addition, we may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information belonging to us, our current or former employees, or to our suppliers or consumers, and may become subject to legal action and increased regulatory oversight. We could also be required to spend significant financial and other resources to remedy the damage caused by a security breach or to repair or replace networks and information systems.
We are also subject to various laws and regulations that are continuously evolving and developing regarding privacy, data protection, and data security, including those related to the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer, and security of personal data. Such laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation and application, may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, which can result in inconsistent or conflicting requirements. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), and similar regulations implemented in other non-U.S. geographies, adds a broad array of requirements with respect to personal data, including the public disclosure of significant data breaches, and imposes substantial penalties for non-compliance. The California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which amended the CCPA, among other things, impose additional requirements with respect to disclosure and deletion of personal information of California residents. The CCPA and CPRA provide civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches. Similar legislation in other states imposes transparency and other obligations with respect to personal data of their respective residents and provide residents with similar rights. GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, and other privacy and data protection laws may increase our costs of compliance and risks of non-compliance, which could result in substantial penalties.
Our results could be adversely impacted as a result of increased pension, labor, and people-related expenses.
Inflationary pressures, shortages in the labor market, increased employee turnover, and changes in the availability of our workers could increase labor costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results or financial condition. Our labor costs include the cost of providing employee benefits in the United States, Canada, and other foreign jurisdictions, including pension, health and welfare, and severance benefits. Any declines in market returns could adversely impact the funding of pension plans, the assets of which are invested in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed-income
securities and other investments. Additionally, the annual costs of benefits vary with increased costs of health care and the outcome of collectively bargained wage and benefit agreements.
Furthermore, we may be subject to increased costs or experience adverse effects to our operating results if we are unable to renew collectively bargained agreements on satisfactory terms. Our financial condition and ability to meet the needs of our customers could be materially and adversely affected if strikes or work stoppages or interruptions occur as a result of delayed negotiations with union-represented employees both in and outside of the United States.
Employee turnover, changes in the availability of our workers, and labor shortages in our supply chain have resulted in, and could continue to result in, increased costs and have, and could again, impact our ability to meet consumer demand, both of which could negatively affect our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Changes in tax laws and interpretations could adversely affect our business.
We are subject to income and other taxes in the United States and in numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our domestic and foreign tax liabilities are dependent on the jurisdictions in which profits are determined to be earned and taxed. Additionally, the amount of taxes paid is subject to our interpretation of applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate. A number of factors influence our effective tax rate, including changes in tax laws and treaties as well as the interpretation of existing laws and rules. Federal, state, and local governments and administrative bodies within the United States, which represents the majority of our operations, and other foreign jurisdictions have implemented, or are considering, a variety of broad tax, trade, and other regulatory reforms that may impact us.
Significant judgment, knowledge, and experience are required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. Our future effective tax rate is impacted by a number of factors including changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in geographic mix of income, changes in expenses not deductible for tax, including impairment of goodwill, and changes in available tax credits. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We are also regularly subject to audits by tax authorities. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits, including transfer pricing matters, and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. For example, we are currently under examination for income taxes by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the years 2018 through 2022. In 2023, we received two Notices of Proposed Adjustment (the “NOPAs”) relating to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries for the years 2018 and 2019. The NOPAs propose an increase to our U.S. taxable income that could result in additional U.S. federal income tax expense and liability of approximately $200 million for 2018 and approximately $210 million for 2019, excluding interest, and assert penalties of approximately $85 million for each of 2018 and 2019. In 2025, we received two NOPAs for the years 2020 through 2022 that could result in additional U.S. federal income tax expense and liability of approximately $200 million for 2020, $210 million for 2021, and $200 million for 2022, excluding interest and assert penalties of approximately $85 million for each of the years of 2020, 2021, and 2022. We strongly disagree with the IRS’s positions, believe that our tax positions are well documented and properly supported, and intend to vigorously contest the positions taken by the IRS and pursue all available administrative and judicial remedies; however, the ultimate outcome of this matter is uncertain, and if we are required to pay the IRS additional U.S. taxes, interest, and potential penalties, our results of operations and cash flows could be materially affected. We continue to maintain the same operating model and transfer pricing methodology with our foreign subsidiaries that was in place for the years 2018 through 2022. Economic and political pressures to increase tax revenue in various jurisdictions may make resolving tax disputes more difficult. The results of an audit or litigation could adversely affect our financial statements in the period or periods for which that determination is made.
Volatility of capital markets or macroeconomic factors could adversely affect our business.
Changes in financial and capital markets, including market disruptions, instability in financial institutions, limited liquidity, and interest rate volatility, may increase the cost of financing as well as the risks of refinancing maturing debt. Additionally, some of our customers, suppliers, and counterparties are highly leveraged. Consolidations in some of the industries in which our customers operate have created larger customers, some of which are highly leveraged and facing increased competition and continued credit market volatility. These factors have caused some customers to be less profitable, increasing our exposure to credit risk. A significant adverse change in the financial and/or credit position of a customer, supplier, or counterparty could require us to assume greater credit risk relating to that customer or counterparty and could limit our ability to collect receivables. This could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and liquidity.
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MD&A (Item 7)
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Overview
Objective:
The following discussion provides an analysis of our financial condition and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our objective is to also provide discussion of material events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or of future financial condition and to offer information that provides an understanding of our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
See below for discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations for 2025 compared to 2024. See Item 7, Management’s Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations , in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2024 for a detailed discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for 2024 compared to 2023.
Description of the Company:
We manufacture and market food and beverage products around the world through our eight consumer-driven product platforms: Taste Elevation, Easy Ready Meals, Substantial Snacking, Desserts, Hydration, Cheese, Coffee, Meats, and other grocery products.
We manage our operating results through four operating segments: North America, Europe and Pacific Developed Markets (“EPDM” or “International Developed Markets”), West and East Emerging Markets (“WEEM”), and Asia Emerging Markets (“AEM”). We have two reportable segments defined by geographic region: North America and International Developed Markets. Our remaining operating segments, consisting of WEEM and AEM, are combined and disclosed as Emerging Markets.
See Note 21, Segment Reporting , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for our financial information by segment.
Previously Announced Separation Transaction:
On September 2, 2025, we announced our plan to separate the Company into two independent, publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off (the “Separation”). On February 11, 2026, we announced that the Kraft Heinz Board of Directors (the “Board”) has decided to pause work related to the Separation. See Item 1A, Risk Factors , for further discussion of risks relating to the Separation.
Business Trends and Items Affecting Comparability of Financial Results
Inflation and Supply Chain Impacts:
During the year ended December 27, 2025, we experienced increased inflationary pressures in our supply chain costs compared to the prior year period, due in part to the tariff and trade policy actions taken by the United States and foreign governments during the year. We expect these inflationary trends to moderate through 2026, although there continues to be significant uncertainty. Further, we continue to take measures to mitigate the impact of this inflation through efficiency initiatives, pricing actions, alternative sourcing, and hedging strategies. However, there has been, and we expect that there could continue to be, a difference between the timing of when these beneficial, mitigative actions impact our results of operations and when the cost inflation is incurred. Additionally, the pricing actions we have taken have, in some instances, negatively impacted, and could continue to negatively impact, our market share. As the situation continues to remain fluid due to the rapidly changing global trade environment, we continue to evaluate the potential implications of these actions on our business.
Consumer Trends:
In the second quarter of 2025, we announced our commitment to remove Food, Drug & Cosmetic (“FD&C”) colors from our U.S. portfolio of products before the end of 2027. Additionally, we have committed to ensuring that all new products launched in the U.S. will be free of FD&C colors. This initiative will impact a subset of the products sold within our North America segment, primarily within our Hydration and Desserts platforms. While we do not currently anticipate a significant impact to our input costs in our efforts to meet this commitment, our net sales, market share, or results of operations could be adversely affected if we are unsuccessful in our efforts to continue to satisfy consumer preferences.
Regulatory Landscape:
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA") was signed into law in the United States. The OBBBA includes a broad range of changes to U.S. tax law, which did not have a material impact on our total tax provision as of December 27, 2025, and we do not expect the elective provisions of the law to have a material impact on our effective tax rate in future periods. Further, certain provision of the OBBBA impact the timing of cash tax payments, which resulted in a reduction of our
cash tax payments in 2025, and is expected to reduce cash tax payments in 2026; however we do not expect these provisions to have a material impact on our cash flows in future periods.
The OBBBA also enacted modifications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”). The modifications are expected to reduce the number of SNAP participants and the average benefits received by the eligible participants, which could impact consumers’ demand for our products. We intend to take measures to mitigate the potential negative impacts through pricing strategies and changes to our product portfolios. However, the modifications to the SNAP program may have a negative impact on our results of operations, cash flows, and market share.
Impairment Losses:
Our results of operations reflect goodwill impairment losses of $6.7 billion and intangible asset impairment losses of $2.6 billion in 2025 compared to goodwill impairment losses of $1.6 billion and intangible asset impairment losses of $2.0 billion in 2024. See Note 9, Goodwill and Intangible Assets , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our goodwill and intangible asset impairment losses.
Acquisitions and Divestitures:
In 2025, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell our infant and specialty food business in Italy, within our International Developed Markets segment. On December 31, 2025, which is in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2026, we closed the sale for total cash consideration of approximately $146 million. In 2024, we closed the sale of our infant nutrition business in Russia (the “Russia Infant Transaction”) and the sale of 100% of the equity interests in our Papua New Guinea subsidiary (the “Papua New Guinea Transaction”), both within Emerging Markets. See Note 5, Acquisitions and Divestitures , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our acquisition and divestiture activities.
Results of Operations
We disclose in this report certain non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures assist management in comparing our performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business decision-making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our underlying operations. For additional information and reconciliations to the most closely comparable financial measures presented in our consolidated financial statements, which are calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP, see Non-GAAP Financial Measures.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Summary of Results:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
% Change
(in millions, except per share data)
Net sales
Operating income/(loss)
Net income/(loss)
Net income/(loss) attributable to common shareholders
Diluted EPS
Net Sales:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
% Change
(in millions)
Net sales
Organic Net Sales (a)
(a) Organic Net Sales is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
Fiscal Year 2025 Compared to Fiscal Year 2024:
Net sales decreased 3.5% to $24.9 billion in 2025 compared to $25.8 billion in 2024, including the unfavorable impacts of foreign currency (0.1 pp). Organic Net Sales decreased 3.4% to $24.9 billion in 2025 compared to $25.8 billion in 2024, primarily due to the unfavorable volume/mix (4.1 pp), which more than offset higher pricing (0.7 pp). Pricing was higher in each segment. Volume/mix in North America and International Developed Markets was unfavorable, while volume/mix in Emerging Markets was favorable.
Net Income/(Loss):
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
% Change
(in millions)
Operating income/(loss)
Net income/(loss)
Net income/(loss) attributable to common shareholders
Adjusted Operating Income (a)
(a) Adjusted Operating Income is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
Fiscal Year 2025 Compared to Fiscal Year 2024:
Operating income/(loss) decreased 377.4% to a loss of $4.7 billion in 2025 compared to income of $1.7 billion in 2024, primarily due to non-cash impairment losses that were $5.6 billion higher in the current year period. In addition to the impact of these non-cash impairment losses, operating income/(loss) decreased $715 million due to inflationary pressures in commodity and manufacturing costs that outpaced our efficiency initiatives, unfavorable volume/mix, separation costs incurred in the current year, unfavorable changes in unrealized losses/(gains) on commodity hedges, increased advertising expenses and increased research and development costs. These unfavorable impacts to operating income/(loss) were partially offset by higher pricing and decreased general corporate expenses.
Net income/(loss) decreased 313.0% to a loss of $5.8 billion in 2025 compared to income of $2.7 billion in 2024. This decrease was due to the unfavorable changes in operating income/(loss) factors discussed above, higher income tax expense and higher interest expense, partially offset by favorable changes in other expense/(income).
• Our effective tax rate was an expense of 7.4% on pre-tax loss in 2025 compared to a benefit of 220.5% on pre-tax income in 2024. The year-over-year increase in the effective tax rate was due primarily to higher non-deductible goodwill impairments in the current year and recognizing a non-U.S. deferred tax asset as a result of the movement of certain business operations to a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands offset by establishing valuation allowances on certain non-U.S. deferred tax assets in the prior year.
• Other expense/(income) was income of $171 million in 2025 compared to $85 million in 2024. This change was driven by a $53 million increase in interest income primarily due to interest earned on our available-for-sale securities, and a $42 million net loss on the sale of a business recognized in 2025 compared to a $81 million net loss on the sale of businesses in 2024. These positive impacts on other expense/(income) were partially offset by a $28 million decrease in our net pension and postretirement non-service components.
Adjusted Operating Income decreased 11.5% to $4.7 billion in 2025 compared to $5.4 billion in 2024, primarily due to inflationary pressures in commodity and manufacturing costs that outpaced our efficiency initiatives, unfavorable volume/mix, increased advertising expenses, increased research and development costs, and the unfavorable impact of foreign currency (0.1 pp). These unfavorable impacts more than offset higher pricing and decreased general corporate expenses.
Diluted Earnings Per Share (“EPS”):
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
% Change
(in millions, except per share data)
Diluted EPS
Adjusted EPS (a)
(a) Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
Fiscal Year 2025 Compared to Fiscal Year 2024:
Diluted EPS decreased 318.1% to $(4.93) in 2025 compared to $2.26 in 2024, primarily due to the net income/(loss) factors discussed above, which more than offset the favorable impact of our common stock repurchases.
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
$ Change
% Change
Diluted EPS
Restructuring activities
Unrealized losses/(gains) on commodity hedges
Impairment losses
Separation costs
Losses/(gains) on sale of business
Nonmonetary currency devaluation
Certain significant discrete income tax items
Adjusted EPS (a)
Key drivers of change in Adjusted EPS (a) :
Results of operations
Effect of common stock repurchases (b) :
Interest expense
Other expense/(income)
Effective tax rate
(a) Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
(b) Includes the impact of the change in the weighted average shares of common stock outstanding, including dilutive effect, which is primarily due to shares purchased pursuant to our publicly announced share repurchase program. See Note 20, Earnings Per Share , in Item 8 , Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, for more information on our weighted average shares outstanding.
Adjusted EPS decreased 15.0% to $2.60 in 2025 compared to $3.06 in 2024 primarily due to lower Adjusted Operating Income, higher taxes on adjusted earnings, and higher interest expense, which more than offset the favorable impact of our common stock repurchases and favorable changes in other expense/(income).
Results of Operations by Segment
We manage our operating results through four operating segments. We have two reportable segments defined by geographic region: North America and International Developed Markets. Our remaining operating segments, consisting of WEEM and AEM, are combined and disclosed as Emerging Markets.
Management evaluates segment performance based on several factors, including net sales, Organic Net Sales, and Segment Adjusted Operating Income. Segment Adjusted Operating Income is defined as operating income/(loss) excluding, when they occur, the impacts of restructuring activities, deal costs, unrealized gains/(losses) on commodity hedges (the unrealized gains and losses are recorded in general corporate expenses until realized; once realized, the gains and losses are recorded in the applicable segment’s operating results), impairment losses, separation costs, and certain non-ordinary course legal and regulatory matters. Segment Adjusted Operating Income for Emerging Markets, which represents the aggregation of our WEEM and AEM operating segments, is defined and presented consistently with the Segment Adjusted Operating Income of our reportable segments — North America and International Developed Markets. Segment Adjusted Operating Income is a financial measure that can assist management and investors in comparing our performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our underlying operations. Management also uses Segment Adjusted Operating Income to allocate resources.
Under highly inflationary accounting, the financial statements of a subsidiary are remeasured into our reporting currency (U.S. dollars) based on the legally available exchange rate at which we expect to settle the underlying transactions. Exchange gains and losses from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in other expense/(income) on our consolidated statement of income, as nonmonetary currency devaluation, rather than accumulated other comprehensive income/(losses) on our consolidated balance sheet, until such time as the economy is no longer considered highly inflationary. See Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies, in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information. We apply highly inflationary accounting to the results of our subsidiaries in Turkey, Venezuela, and Egypt, which are all in Emerging Markets.
Net Sales:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
(in millions)
Net sales:
North America
International Developed Markets
Emerging Markets
Total net sales
Organic Net Sales:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
(in millions)
Organic Net Sales (a) :
North America
International Developed Markets
Emerging Markets
Total Organic Net Sales
(a) Organic Net Sales is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
Drivers of the changes in net sales and Organic Net Sales were:
Net Sales
Currency
Acquisitions and Divestitures
Organic Net Sales
Price
Volume/Mix
2025 Compared to 2024
North America
International Developed Markets
Emerging Markets
Kraft Heinz
Adjusted Operating Income:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
(in millions)
Segment Adjusted Operating Income:
North America
International Developed Markets
Emerging Markets
General corporate expenses
Restructuring activities
Unrealized gains/(losses) on commodity hedges
Impairment losses
Separation costs
Operating income/(loss)
Interest expense
Other expense/(income)
Income/(loss) before income taxes
North America:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
% Change
(in millions)
Net sales
Organic Net Sales (a)
Segment Adjusted Operating Income
(a) Organic Net Sales is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
Fiscal Year 2025 Compared to Fiscal Year 2024:
Net sales decreased 4.9% to $18.6 billion in 2025 compared to $19.5 billion in 2024, including the unfavorable impacts of foreign currency (0.2 pp). Organic Net Sales decreased 4.7% to $18.6 billion in 2025 compared to $19.5 billion in 2024, primarily due to unfavorable volume/mix (5.0 pp), which more than offset higher pricing (0.3 pp). Unfavorable volume/mix was primarily due to declines in cold cuts, coffee, certain condiments, bacon, frozen snacks, and desserts. Higher pricing was taken in certain categories to mitigate higher input costs, primarily in coffee.
Segment Adjusted Operating Income decreased 14.1% to $4.4 billion in 2025 compared to $5.1 billion in 2024, primarily due to unfavorable volume/mix, inflationary pressures in commodity and manufacturing costs that outpaced our efficiency initiatives, increased advertising expenses, higher depreciation expense, increased research and development costs, and the unfavorable impact of foreign currency (0.1 pp). These unfavorable impacts to Segment Adjusted Operating Income more than offset higher pricing.
International Developed Markets:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
% Change
(in millions)
Net sales
Organic Net Sales (a)
Segment Adjusted Operating Income
(a) Organic Net Sales is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
Fiscal Year 2025 Compared to Fiscal Year 2024:
Net sales increased 0.1% to $3.5 billion in 2025 compared to $3.5 billion in 2024, including the favorable impacts of foreign currency (2.0 pp). Organic Net Sales decreased 1.9% to $3.5 billion in 2025 compared to $3.5 billion in 2024, primarily due to unfavorable volume/mix (2.8 pp), which more than offset higher pricing (0.9 pp). Unfavorable volume/mix was primarily due to continued industry slowdowns of meals in the United Kingdom and pricing elasticity in New Zealand.
Segment Adjusted Operating Income increased 1.0% to $543 million in 2025 compared to $537 million in 2024, primarily driven by higher pricing, the favorable impact of foreign currency (3.2 pp), decreased advertising expenses, and lower amortization expense. These favorable impacts to Segment Adjusted Operating Income more than offset unfavorable volume/mix and inflationary pressures in manufacturing and procurement costs that outpaced our efficiency initiatives.
Emerging Markets:
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
% Change
(in millions)
Net sales
Organic Net Sales (a)
Segment Adjusted Operating Income
(a) Organic Net Sales is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section at the end of this item.
Fiscal Year 2025 Compared to Fiscal Year 2024:
Net sales increased 1.8% to $2.8 billion in 2025 compared to $2.8 billion in 2024, including the unfavorable impacts of foreign currency (2.4 pp) and divestitures (0.4 pp). Organic Net Sales increased 4.6% to $2.8 billion in 2025 compared to $2.7 billion in 2024, primarily driven by higher pricing (4.0 pp) and favorable volume/mix (0.6 pp). Higher pricing was taken primarily in certain countries within WEEM to address inflationary pressures, which more than offset lower pricing in Indonesia. Favorable volume/mix was primarily driven by Taste Elevation, particularly in Brazil and China, which more than offset unfavorable volume/mix in Indonesia.
Segment Adjusted Operating Income increased 6.2% to $341 million in 2025 compared to $321 million in 2024, primarily due to higher pricing, reduced manufacturing costs, primarily as a result of our efficiency initiatives, and favorable volume/mix. These favorable impacts to Segment Adjusted Operating Income more than offset higher procurement and logistics costs reflecting inflationary pressure in WEEM, increased advertising expenses, unfavorable changes in allowances for trade receivables in Indonesia, the unfavorable impact of foreign currency (4.5 pp), and higher depreciation expense.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We believe that cash generated from our operating activities, as well as our access to other potential sources of liquidity including our available-for-sale debt securities, commercial paper programs, and our senior unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Senior Credit Facility”) will provide sufficient liquidity to meet our working capital needs, repayments of long-term debt, future contractual obligations, payment of our anticipated quarterly dividends, planned capital expenditures, restructuring expenditures, and contributions to our postemployment benefit plans for the next 12 months. An additional potential source of liquidity is access to capital markets. We intend to use our cash on hand and commercial paper programs for daily funding requirements.
Acquisitions and Divestitures:
In 2025, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell our infant and specialty food business in Italy, within our International Developed Markets segment. On December 31, 2025, in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2026, we closed the sale for total cash consideration of approximately $146 million.
In the first quarter of 2024, we consummated the Russia Infant Transaction for total cash consideration of approximately $25 million, and the Papua New Guinea Transaction for total cash consideration of approximately $22 million.
See Note 5, Acquisitions and Divestitures , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our acquisitions and divestitures.
Cash Flow Activity for 2025 Compared to 2024:
Net Cash Provided by/Used for Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities was $4.5 billion for the year ended December 27, 2025 compared to $4.2 billion for the year ended December 28, 2024. This increase was primarily due to favorable changes in working capital, predominantly within inventory as a result of our efforts to optimize inventory levels, lower income taxes paid due, in part, to benefits received through the OBBBA, reduced cash outflows for variable compensation, and the current year conversion of certain plan assets related to the U.S. postretirement medical plan to cash. These impacts were partially offset by lower Adjusted Operating Income. See Note 12, Postemployment Benefits , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our postemployment benefit plans activities.
Net Cash Provided by/Used for Investing Activities:
Net cash used for investing activities was $1.8 billion for the year ended December 27, 2025 compared to $1.0 billion for the year ended December 28, 2024. This change was primarily driven by the purchases of marketable securities, partially offset by lower capital expenditures, and lapping our prior year payment to acquire the TGI Friday License. Our 2025 capital expenditures were primarily focused on maintenance, technology, and cost improvement projects. We expect 2026 capital expenditures to be approximately $950 million.
Net Cash Provided by/Used for Financing Activities:
Net cash used for financing activities was $1.3 billion for the year ended December 27, 2025 compared to $3.0 billion for the year ended December 28, 2024. This change was primarily driven by increased debt proceeds received in the current year, decreased repurchases of common stock compared to the prior year period, and increased hedge settlements. See Note 17, Debt , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our debt transactions and Note 19, Capital Stock , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our share repurchase program.
Cash Held by International Subsidiaries:
Of the $2.6 billion cash and cash equivalents on our consolidated balance sheet at December 27, 2025, $981 million was held by international subsidiaries.
Subsequent to January 1, 2018, we consider the unremitted earnings of certain international subsidiaries that impose local country taxes on dividends to be indefinitely reinvested. For those undistributed earnings considered to be indefinitely reinvested, our intent is to reinvest these funds in our international operations, and our current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate the accumulated earnings to fund our U.S. cash requirements. The amount of unrecognized deferred tax liabilities for local country withholding taxes that would be owed, if repatriated, related to our 2018 through 2025 accumulated earnings of certain international subsidiaries is approximately $65 million. Our undistributed historic earnings in foreign subsidiaries through December 31, 2017 are currently not considered to be indefinitely reinvested. Our deferred tax liability associated with these undistributed historical earnings was insignificant at December 27, 2025, December 28, 2024, and December 30, 2023, and relates to local withholding taxes that would be owed when this cash is distributed.
Trade Payables Programs:
In order to manage our cash flow and related liquidity, we work with our suppliers to optimize our terms and conditions, which
include the extension of payment terms. We maintain agreements with third-party administrators that allow participating suppliers to track payment obligations from us, and, at the sole discretion of the supplier, sell one or more of those payment obligations to participating financial institutions. Our obligations to our suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment terms, are not impacted. Our current payment terms with our suppliers, which we deem to be commercially reasonable, generally range from 0 to 250 days. All amounts due to participating suppliers are paid to the third party on the original invoice due dates, regardless of whether a particular invoice was sold. The amounts outstanding under these programs were $755 million at December 27, 2025 and $745 million at December 28, 2024. The amounts were included in accounts payable on our consolidated balance sheets. See Note 15, Financing Arrangements , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our trade payables programs.
Borrowing Arrangements:
From time to time, we obtain funding through our commercial paper programs. We had no commercial paper outstanding at December 27, 2025, December 28, 2024, and December 30, 2023. We had no commercial paper outstanding during the years ended December 27, 2025 and December 28, 2024, and the maximum amount of commercial paper outstanding was $150 million during the year ended December 30, 2023.
Together with Kraft Heinz Food Company (“KHFC”), our 100% owned operating subsidiary, we have a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), which provides for a five-year senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate amount of $4.0 billion (the “Senior Credit Facility”). On July 8, 2025, we entered into an amendment to this agreement to extend the maturity date from July 8, 2029 to July 8, 2030. Further, the amendment modified certain financial covenants, which changed the minimum shareholders’ equity balance from $35 billion to $25 billion, and added an allowable add-back to the minimum shareholders’ equity balance of up to $2 billion annually, commensurate with goodwill and intangible asset impairments recorded during the period. Subject to certain conditions, we may increase the amount of revolving commitments and/or add tranches of term loans in a combined aggregate amount of up to $1.0 billion.
No amounts were drawn on our Senior Credit Facility at December 27, 2025, December 28, 2024, or December 30, 2023. No amounts were drawn on our Senior Credit Facility during the years ended December 27, 2025, December 28, 2024 or December 30, 2023.
Our credit agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and covenants that are typical for these types of facilities and could, upon the occurrence of certain events of default, restrict our ability to access our Senior Credit Facility. We were in compliance with all financial covenants as of December 27, 2025.
Long-Term Debt:
Our long-term debt, including the current portion, was $21.2 billion at December 27, 2025, $19.9 billion at December 28, 2024, and $20.0 billion at December 30, 2023. The increase of debt in 2025 was primarily due to the issuance of the 2025 Notes, as well as changes in foreign currency exchange rates on our foreign-denominated debt, partially offset by the repayment of our 600 million euro senior notes due May 2025. The decrease of debt in 2024 was primarily due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on our foreign-denominated debt, as well as the 550 million euro aggregate principle amount of senior notes that were repaid at maturity in May 2024, partially offset by the issuance of the 2024 Notes.
We have aggregate principal amounts of senior notes of approximately $1.9 billion maturing in June 2026.
We may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through redemptions, tender offers, cash purchases, prepayments, refinancing, exchange offers, open market or privately negotiated transactions, Rule 10b5-1 plans, or otherwise.
Our long-term debt contains customary representations, covenants, and events of default. We were in compliance with all financial covenants as of December 27, 2025.
See Note 17, Debt , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our long-term debt activity.
Equity and Dividends:
We paid dividends on our common stock of $1.9 billion in 2025 and 2024 and $2.0 billion in 2023. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2026, our Board declared a cash dividend of $0.40 per share of common stock, which is payable on March 27, 2026 to stockholders of record on March 6, 2026.
The declaration of dividends is subject to the discretion of our Board and depends on various factors, including our net income, financial condition, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors that our Board deems relevant to its analysis and decision making.
On November 27, 2023, we announced that the Board approved a share repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase up to $3.0 billion, exclusive of fees, of the Company’s common stock through December 26, 2026. We are not obligated to repurchase any specific number of shares and the program may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time. Under the program, shares may be repurchased in open market transactions, including under plans complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, privately negotiated transactions, transactions structured through investment banking institutions, or other means. As of December 27, 2025, we had remaining authorization under the share repurchase program of approximately $1.5 billion. The share repurchase program is in addition to our share repurchases to offset the dilutive effect of equity-based compensation.
Aggregate Contractual Obligations:
Related to our current and long-term material cash requirements, the following table summarizes our aggregate contractual obligations at December 27, 2025, which we expect to primarily fund with cash from operating activities (in millions):
Material Cash Requirements
2031 and Thereafter
Total
Long-term debt (a)
Finance leases (b)
Operating leases (c)
Purchase obligations (d)
Other long-term liabilities (e)
Total
(a) Amounts represent the expected cash payments of our long-term debt, including interest on variable and fixed rate long-term debt. Interest on variable rate long-term debt is calculated based on interest rates at December 27, 2025.
(b) Amounts represent the expected cash payments of our finance leases, including expected cash payments of interest expense.
(c) Operating leases represent the minimum rental commitments under non-cancellable operating leases net of sublease income.
(d) We have purchase obligations for materials, supplies, property, plant and equipment, and co-packing, storage, and distribution services based on projected needs to be utilized in the normal course of business. Other purchase obligations include commitments for marketing, advertising, capital expenditures, information technology, and professional services. Arrangements are considered purchase obligations if a contract specifies all significant terms, including fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased, a pricing structure, and approximate timing of the transaction. Several of these obligations are long-term and are based on minimum purchase requirements. Certain purchase obligations contain variable pricing components, and, as a result, actual cash payments are expected to fluctuate based on changes in these variable components. Due to the proprietary nature of some of our materials and processes, certain supply contracts contain penalty provisions for early terminations. We do not believe that a material amount of penalties is reasonably likely to be incurred under these contracts based upon historical experience and current expectations.
(e) Other long-term liabilities primarily consist of estimated payments for the one-time toll charge related to 2017 U.S. tax reform, as well as postretirement benefit commitments. Certain other long-term liabilities related to income taxes, insurance accruals, and other accruals included on the consolidated balance sheet are excluded from the above table as we are unable to estimate the timing of payments for these items.
Pension plan contributions were $5 million in 2025. We estimate that 2026 pension plan contributions will be approximately $6 million. Postretirement benefit plan contributions were $10 million in 2025. We estimate that 2026 postretirement benefit plan contributions will be approximately $11 million. During the fourth quarter of 2025, we amended our U.S. postretirement medical plan to establish a sub-trust to permit the payment of certain postretirement benefit plan contributions for active non-union employees using $200 million of the retiree plan surplus. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we amended our U.S. postretirement medical plan to establish a sub-trust to permit the payment of certain postretirement benefit plan contributions for active union employees using $150 million of the retiree plan surplus. See Note 12, Postemployment Benefits, in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional information on our pension and postretirement plans.
Estimated future contributions take into consideration current economic conditions, which at this time are expected to have minimal impact on expected contributions for 2026. Beyond 2026, we are unable to reliably estimate the timing of contributions to our pension or postretirement plans. Our actual contributions and plans may change due to many factors, including changes in tax, employee benefit, or other laws and regulations, tax deductibility, significant differences between expected and actual pension or postretirement asset performance or interest rates, or other factors. As such, estimated pension and postretirement plan contributions for 2026 have been excluded from the above table.
At December 27, 2025, the amount of net unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions, including an accrual of related interest and penalties along with positions only impacting the timing of tax benefits, was approximately $589 million. The timing of payments will depend on the progress of examinations with tax authorities. We are unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate as to if or when any significant cash settlements with taxing authorities may occur; therefore, we have excluded the amount of net unrecognized tax benefits from the above table.
Supplemental Guarantor Information:
The Kraft Heinz Company (as the “Parent Guarantor”) fully and unconditionally guarantees all the senior unsecured registered notes (collectively, the “KHFC Senior Notes”) issued by KHFC, our 100% owned operating subsidiary (the “Guarantee”). See Note 17, Debt , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for additional descriptions of these guarantees.
The payment of the principal, premium, and interest on the KHFC Senior Notes is fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Parent Guarantor, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the applicable indenture. None of the Parent Guarantor’s subsidiaries guarantee the KHFC Senior Notes.
The Guarantee is the Parent Guarantor’s senior unsecured obligation and is: (i) pari passu in right of payment with all of the Parent Guarantor’s existing and future senior indebtedness; (ii) senior in right of payment to all of the Parent Guarantor’s future subordinated indebtedness; (iii) effectively subordinated to all of the Parent Guarantor’s existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets secured by that indebtedness; and (iv) effectively subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities of the Parent Guarantor’s subsidiaries.
The KHFC Senior Notes are obligations exclusively of KHFC and the Parent Guarantor and not of any of the Parent Guarantor’s other subsidiaries. Substantially all of the Parent Guarantor’s operations are conducted through its subsidiaries. The Parent Guarantor’s other subsidiaries are separate legal entities that have no obligation to pay any amounts due under the KHFC Senior Notes or to make any funds available therefor, whether by dividends, loans, or other payments. Except to the extent the Parent Guarantor is a creditor with recognized claims against its subsidiaries, all claims of creditors (including trade creditors) and holders of preferred stock, if any, of its subsidiaries will have priority with respect to the assets of such subsidiaries over its claims (and therefore the claims of its creditors, including holders of the KHFC Senior Notes). Consequently, the KHFC Senior Notes are structurally subordinated to all liabilities of the Parent Guarantor’s subsidiaries and any subsidiaries that it may in the future acquire or establish. The obligations of the Parent Guarantor will terminate and be of no further force or effect in the following circumstances: (i) (a) KHFC’s exercise of its legal defeasance option or, except in the case of a guarantee of any direct or indirect parent of KHFC, covenant defeasance option in accordance with the applicable indenture, or KHFC’s obligations under the applicable indenture have been discharged in accordance with the terms of the applicable indenture or (b) as specified in a supplemental indenture to the applicable indenture; and (ii) the Parent Guarantor has delivered to the trustee an officer’s certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in the applicable indenture
have been complied with. The Guarantee is limited by its terms to an amount not to exceed the maximum amount that can be guaranteed by the Parent Guarantor without rendering the Guarantee voidable under applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.
The following tables present summarized financial information for the Parent Guarantor and KHFC (as subsidiary issuer of the KHFC Senior Notes) (together, the “Obligor Group”), on a combined basis after the elimination of all intercompany balances and transactions between the Parent Guarantor and subsidiary issuer and investments in any subsidiary that is a non-guarantor.
Summarized Statement of Income
For the Year Ended
December 27, 2025
Net sales
Gross profit (a)
Intercompany service fees and other recharges
Operating income/(loss)
Equity in earnings/(losses) of subsidiaries
Net income/(loss)
Net income/(loss) attributable to common shareholders
(a) In 2025, the Obligor Group recorded $489 million of net sales to the non-guarantor subsidiaries and $67 million of purchases from the non-guarantor subsidiaries.
Summarized Balance Sheets
December 27, 2025
ASSETS
Current assets
Current assets due from affiliates (a)
Non-current assets
Goodwill
Intangible assets, net
Non-current assets due from affiliates (b)
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities
Current liabilities due to affiliates (a)
Non-current liabilities
Non-current liabilities due to affiliates (b)
(a) Represents receivables and short-term lending due from and payables and short-term lending due to non-guarantor subsidiaries.
(b) Represents long-term lending due from and long-term borrowings due to non-guarantor subsidiaries.
Commodity Trends
We purchase and use large quantities of commodities, including dairy products, meat products, sugar and other sweeteners, coffee, tomato products, soybean and vegetable oils, eggs, other fruits and vegetables, and wheat and processed grains to manufacture our products. In addition, we purchase and use significant quantities of plastics, resin, cardboard, glass, paper and metal to package our products, and we use electricity, diesel fuel, and natural gas in the manufacturing and distribution of our products. We continuously monitor worldwide supply and cost trends of these commodities.
During the year ended December 27, 2025, we experienced increases in certain commodity costs, particularly for coffee, meats, and eggs while costs for cheese and dairy products and tomato products decreased. We manage commodity cost volatility primarily through pricing and risk management strategies including utilizing a range of commodity hedging techniques in an effort to limit the impact of price fluctuations on many of our principal raw materials. However, we do not fully hedge against changes in commodity prices, and our hedging strategies may not protect us from increases in specific raw material costs. As a result of these risk management strategies, our commodity costs may not immediately correlate with market price trends.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , includes a summary of the significant accounting policies we used to prepare our consolidated financial statements. The following is a review of the more significant assumptions and estimates as well as accounting policies we used to prepare our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition:
Our revenues are primarily derived from customer orders for the purchase of our products. We recognize revenues as performance obligations are fulfilled when control passes to our customers. We record revenues net of variable consideration, including consumer incentives and performance obligations related to trade promotions, excluding taxes, and including all shipping and handling charges billed to customers (accounting for shipping and handling charges that occur after the transfer of control as fulfillment costs). We also record a refund liability for estimated product returns and customer allowances as reductions to revenues within the same period that the revenue is recognized. We base these estimates principally on historical and current period experience factors. We recognize costs paid to third-party brokers to obtain contracts as expenses as our contracts are generally less than one year.
Advertising, Consumer Incentives, and Trade Promotions:
We promote our products with advertising, consumer incentives, and performance obligations related to trade promotions. Consumer incentives and trade promotions include, but are not limited to, discounts, coupons, rebates, performance-based in-store display activities, and volume-based incentives. Variable consideration related to consumer incentive and trade promotion activities is recorded as a reduction to revenues based on amounts estimated as being due to customers and consumers at the end of a period. We base these estimates principally on historical utilization, redemption rates, and/or current period experience factors. We review and adjust these estimates at least quarterly based on actual experience and other information.
Advertising expenses are recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”). For interim reporting purposes, we charge advertising to operations as a percentage of estimated full year sales activity and marketing costs. We then review and adjust these estimates each quarter based on actual experience and other information. Our definition of advertising expenses includes advertising production costs, in-store advertising costs, agency fees, brand promotions and events, and sponsorships, in addition to costs to obtain advertising in television, radio, print, digital, and social channels. We recorded advertising expenses of $1,073 million in 2025, $1,031 million in 2024, and $1,071 million in 2023. We also incur market research costs, which are recorded in SG&A but are excluded from advertising expenses.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets:
As of December 27, 2025, we maintain 10 reporting units globally, six of which comprise our goodwill balance. These six reporting units had an aggregate goodwill carrying amount of $22.2 billion at December 27, 2025. Our indefinite-lived intangible asset balance primarily consists of a number of individual brands, which had an aggregate carrying amount of $34.2 billion as of December 27, 2025.
We test our reporting units and brands for impairment annually as of the first day of our third quarter, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit or brand is less than its carrying amount. Such events and circumstances could include a sustained decrease in our market capitalization, increased competition or unexpected loss of market share, increased input costs beyond projections, disposals of significant brands or components of our business, unexpected business disruptions (for example due to a natural disaster, pandemic, or loss of a customer, supplier, or other significant business relationship), unexpected significant declines in operating results, significant adverse changes in the markets in which we operate, changes in income tax rates, changes in interest rates, or changes in management strategy. We test reporting units for impairment by comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount. We test brands for impairment by comparing the estimated fair value of each brand with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit or brand exceeds its estimated fair value, we record an impairment loss based on the difference between fair value and carrying amount, in the case of reporting units, not to exceed the associated carrying amount of goodwill.
Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates, and market factors. Estimating the fair value of individual reporting units and brands requires us to make assumptions and estimates regarding our future plans, as well as industry, economic, and regulatory conditions, and to consider the market multiples of certain peer and guideline companies. These assumptions and estimates include estimated future annual net cash flows (including net sales, cost of products sold, SG&A, depreciation and amortization, working capital, and capital expenditures), income tax considerations, discount rates, long-term growth rates, royalty rates, contributory asset charges, and other market factors. As part of our 2025 annual impairment test as of June 29, 2025, we used discount rates ranging from 7.3% to 14.8% and long-term growth rates ranging from 0.0% to 4.0% in estimating the fair value of our reporting units. Additionally, we used discount rates ranging from 8.5% to 12.3%, long-term growth rates ranging from 0.0% to 4.0%, and royalty rates ranging from 5.0% to 20.0% in estimating the fair value of our brands. If current expectations of future growth rates, royalty rates, and margins are not met, if market factors outside of our control change; such as discount rates, market capitalization, income tax rates, foreign currency exchange rates, or inflation, or if management’s expectations or plans otherwise change, including updates to our long-term operating plans, then one or more of our reporting units or brands might become impaired in the future. Additionally, any decisions to divest certain non-strategic assets could lead to future goodwill or intangible asset impairments.
As detailed in Note 9, Goodwill and Intangible Assets , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , we recorded impairment losses related to goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. Our reporting units and brands that were impaired in 2025, 2024, and 2023 were written down to their respective fair values resulting in zero excess fair value over carrying amount as of the applicable impairment test dates. Our reporting units and brands that had 20% or less excess fair value over carrying amount as of the 2025 annual impairment test have a heightened risk of future impairments if any assumptions, estimates, or market factors change in the future.
Our reporting units that were determined to have less than 5% fair value over carrying amount as of our 2025 annual impairment test had an aggregate goodwill carrying amount of $21.9 billion as of the 2025 annual impairment test and included Elevation, HDM, Western Europe, MCCS, and Canada reporting units. Our Asia reporting unit had less than 20% fair value over carrying amount with an aggregate goodwill carrying amount of $314 million as of the 2025 annual impairment test. Our reporting units that have 20% or less excess fair value over carrying amounts as of the 2025 annual impairment test are considered at a heightened risk of future impairments and had an aggregate carrying amount of $22.2 billion. Our four remaining reporting units had no goodwill carrying amount at the time of the 2025 annual impairment test.
As of the 2025 annual impairment test, our Kraft brand was determined to have less than 2% fair value over carrying amount, and had a carrying amount of $8.5 billion. Our brands that had over 2% but less than 10% fair value over carrying amount included Lunchables, Bagel Bites, and Claussen and had an aggregate carrying amount of $1.2 billion as of the 2025 annual impairment test. Our brands that had 10-20% fair value over carrying amount included Velveeta, Oscar Mayer, A1, Capri Sun, and Cool Whip and had an aggregate carrying amount of $5.3 billion as of the 2025 annual impairment test. The aggregate carrying amount of brands with fair value over carrying amount 20-50% was $17.0 billion as of the 2025 annual impairment test. Although the remaining brands, with a carrying amount of $2.2 billion, have more than 50% excess fair value over carrying amount as of the 2025 annual impairment test, these amounts are also susceptible to impairments if any assumptions, estimates, or market factors significantly change in the future. Our brands that have 20% or less excess fair value over carrying amounts as of the 2025 annual impairment test are considered at a heightened risk of future impairments and had an aggregate carrying amount of $15.0 billion.
We generally utilize the discounted cash flow method under the income approach to estimate the fair value of our reporting units. Some of the more significant assumptions inherent in estimating the fair values include the estimated future annual cash flows for each reporting unit (including net sales, cost of products sold, SG&A, depreciation and amortization, working capital, and capital expenditures), income tax rates, long-term growth rates, royalty rates, a discount rate that appropriately reflects the risks inherent in each future cash flow stream, and other market factors. We select the assumptions used in the financial forecasts using historical data, supplemented by current and anticipated market conditions, estimated product category growth rates, management’s plans, and a consideration of market multiples of certain peer and guideline companies.
We utilize the excess earnings method under the income approach to estimate the fair value of certain of our largest brands. Some of the more significant assumptions inherent in estimating the fair values include the estimated future annual cash flows for each brand (including net sales, cost of products sold, and SG&A), contributory asset charges, income tax considerations, long-term growth rates, a discount rate that reflects the level of risk associated with the future earnings attributable to the brand, and management’s intent to invest in the brand indefinitely. We select the assumptions used in the financial forecasts using historical data, supplemented by current and anticipated market conditions, estimated product category growth rates, management’s plans, and a consideration of market multiples of certain peer and guideline companies.
We utilize the relief from royalty method under the income approach to estimate the fair value of our remaining brands. Some of the more significant assumptions inherent in estimating the fair values include the estimated future annual sales for each brand, royalty rates (as a percentage of net sales that would hypothetically be charged by a licensor of the brand to an unrelated licensee), income tax considerations, long-term growth rates, a discount rate that reflects the level of risk associated with the future cost savings attributable to the brand, and management’s intent to invest in the brand indefinitely. We select the assumptions used in the financial forecasts using historical data, supplemented by current and anticipated market conditions, estimated product category growth rates, management’s plans, and a consideration of market multiples of certain peer and guideline companies.
The discount rates, long-term growth rates, and royalty rates used to estimate the fair values of our reporting units and our brands with 20% or less excess fair value over carrying amount, as well as the goodwill or brand carrying amounts, as of the 2025 annual impairment test for each reporting unit and brand were as follows:
Goodwill or Brands Carrying Amount
(in billions)
Discount Rate
Long-Term Growth Rate
Royalty Rate
Minimum
Maximum
Minimum
Maximum
Minimum
Maximum
Reporting units
Brands
(excess earnings method)
Brands
(relief from royalty method)
Assumptions used in impairment testing are made at a point in time and require significant judgment; therefore, they are subject to change based on the facts and circumstances present at each annual and interim impairment test date. Additionally, these assumptions are generally interdependent and do not change in isolation. However, as it is reasonably possible that changes in assumptions could occur, as a sensitivity measure, we have presented the estimated effects of isolated changes in discount rates, long-term growth rates, and royalty rates on the fair values of our reporting units and brands with 20% or less excess fair value over carrying amount. These estimated changes in fair value are not necessarily representative of the actual impairment that would be recorded in the event of a fair value decline.
If we had changed the assumptions used to estimate the fair value of our reporting units and brands with 20% or less excess fair value over carrying amount, as a result of the 2025 annual impairment test for each of these reporting units and brands, these isolated changes, which are reasonably possible to occur, would have led to the following increase/(decrease) in the aggregate fair value of these reporting units and brands (in billions):
Discount Rate
Long-Term Growth Rate
Royalty Rate
50-Basis-Point
25-Basis-Point
100-Basis-Point
Increase
Decrease
Increase
Decrease
Increase
Decrease
Reporting units
Brands (excess earnings method)
Brands (relief from royalty method)
Definite-lived intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated periods benefited. We review definite-lived intangible assets for impairment when conditions exist that indicate the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. Such conditions could include significant adverse changes in the business climate, current-period operating or cash flow losses, significant declines in forecasted operations, or a current expectation that an asset group will be disposed of before the end of its useful life. We perform undiscounted operating cash flow analyses to determine if an impairment exists. When testing for impairment of definite-lived intangible assets held for use, we group assets at the lowest level for which cash flows are separately identifiable. If an impairment is determined to exist, the loss is calculated based on estimated fair value. Impairment losses on definite-lived intangible assets to be disposed of, if any, are based on the estimated proceeds to be received, less costs of disposal.
See Note 9, Goodwill and Intangible Assets , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for our impairment testing results.
Postemployment Benefit Plans:
We maintain various retirement plans for the majority of our employees. These include pension benefits, postretirement health care benefits, and defined contribution benefits. The cost of these plans is charged to expense over an appropriate term based on, among other things, the cost component and whether the plan is active or inactive. Changes in the fair value of our plan assets result in net actuarial gains or losses. These net actuarial gains and losses are deferred into accumulated other comprehensive income/(losses) and amortized within other expense/(income) in future periods using the corridor approach. The corridor is 10% of the greater of the market-related value of the plan’s asset or projected benefit obligation. Any actuarial gains and losses in excess of the corridor are then amortized over an appropriate term based on whether the plan is active or inactive.
For our postretirement benefit plans, our 2026 health care cost trend rate assumption will be 6.5%. We established this rate based upon our most recent experience as well as our expectation for health care trend rates going forward. We anticipate the weighted average assumed ultimate trend rate will be 4.8%. The year in which the ultimate trend rate is reached varies by plan, ranging between the years 2027 and 2035. Assumed health care cost trend rates have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the health care plans.
Our 2026 discount rate assumption will be 5.3% for service cost and 4.5% for interest cost for our postretirement plans. Our 2026 discount rate assumption will be 5.7% for service cost and 4.8% for interest cost for our U.S. pension plans and 5.8% for service cost and 5.0% for interest cost for our non-U.S. pension plans. We model these discount rates using a portfolio of high quality, fixed-income debt instruments with durations that match the expected future cash flows of the plans. Changes in our discount rates were primarily the result of changes in bond yields year-over-year.
Our 2026 expected return on plan assets will be 5.9% (net of applicable taxes) for our postretirement plans. Our 2026 expected rate of return on plan assets will be 6.7% for our U.S. pension plans and 5.3% for our non-U.S. pension plans. We determine our expected rate of return on plan assets from the plan assets’ historical long-term investment performance, current and future asset allocation, and estimates of future long-term returns by asset class. We attempt to maintain our target asset allocation by re-balancing between asset classes as we make contributions and monthly benefit payments.
While we do not anticipate further changes in the 2026 assumptions for our U.S. and non-U.S. pension and postretirement benefit plans, as a sensitivity measure, a 100-basis-point change in our discount rate or a 100-basis-point change in the expected rate of return on plan assets would have the following effects, increase/(decrease) in cost (in millions):
U.S. Plans
Non-U.S. Plans
100-Basis-Point
100-Basis-Point
Increase
Decrease
Increase
Decrease
Effect of change in discount rate on pension costs
Effect of change in expected rate of return on plan assets on pension costs
Effect of change in discount rate on postretirement costs
Effect of change in expected rate of return on plan assets on postretirement costs
Income Taxes:
We compute our annual tax rate based on the statutory tax rates and tax planning opportunities available to us in the various jurisdictions in which we earn income. Significant judgment is required in determining our annual tax rate and in evaluating the uncertainty of our tax positions. We recognize a benefit for tax positions that we believe will more likely than not be sustained upon examination. The amount of benefit recognized is the largest amount of benefit that we believe has more than a 50% probability of being realized upon settlement. We regularly monitor our tax positions and adjust the amount of recognized tax benefit based on our evaluation of information that has become available since the end of our last financial reporting period. The annual tax rate includes the impact of these changes in recognized tax benefits. When adjusting the amount of recognized tax benefits, we do not consider information that has become available after the balance sheet date, however we do disclose the effects of new information whenever those effects would be material to our financial statements. Unrecognized tax benefits represent the difference between the amount of benefit taken or expected to be taken in a tax return and the amount of benefit recognized for financial reporting. These unrecognized tax benefits are recorded primarily within other non-current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
We record valuation allowances to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. When assessing the need for valuation allowances, we consider future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. Should a change in circumstances lead to a change in judgment about the realizability of deferred tax assets in future years, we would adjust related valuation allowances in the period that the change in circumstances occurs, along with a corresponding increase or decrease to income. The resolution of tax reserves and changes in valuation allowances could be material to our results of operations for any period but is not expected to be material to our financial position.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 4, New Accounting Standards , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for a discussion of new accounting pronouncements.
Contingencies
See Note 16, Commitments and Contingencies , in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data , for a discussion of our contingencies.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The non-GAAP financial measures we provide in this report should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
To supplement the consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we have presented Organic Net Sales, Adjusted Operating Income, and Adjusted EPS, which are considered non-GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP financial measures presented may differ from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies, and other companies may not define these non-GAAP financial measures in the same way. These measures are not substitutes for their comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, such as net sales, net income/(loss), operating income(loss), diluted EPS, or other measures prescribed by U.S. GAAP, and there are limitations to using non-GAAP financial measures.
Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to assist in comparing our performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business decision making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our underlying operations. We believe that Organic Net Sales, Adjusted Operating Income, and Adjusted EPS provide important comparability of underlying operating results, allowing investors and management to assess the Company’s operating performance on a consistent basis.
Management believes that presenting our non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors because it (i) provides investors with meaningful supplemental information regarding financial performance by excluding certain items, (ii) permits investors to view performance using the same tools that management uses to budget, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate historical performance, and (iii) otherwise provides supplemental information that may be useful to investors in evaluating our results. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with the corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to those measures, provides investors with additional understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business than could be obtained absent these disclosures.
Organic Net Sales is defined as net sales excluding, when they occur, the impact of currency, acquisitions and divestitures, and a 53rd week of shipments. We calculate the impact of currency on net sales by holding exchange rates constant at the previous year’s exchange rate, with the exception of highly inflationary subsidiaries, for which we calculate the previous year’s results using the current year’s exchange rate.
Adjusted Operating Income is defined as operating income excluding, when they occur, the impacts restructuring activities, deal costs, separation costs, unrealized gains/(losses) on commodity hedges (the unrealized gains and losses are recorded in general corporate expenses until realized; once realized, the gains and losses are recorded in the applicable segment’s operating results), impairment losses, and certain non-ordinary course legal and regulatory matters.
Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted EPS excluding, when they occur, the impacts of restructuring activities, deal costs, separation costs, unrealized losses/(gains) on commodity hedges, impairment losses, certain non-ordinary course legal and regulatory matters, losses/(gains) on the sale of a business, other losses/(gains) related to acquisitions and divestitures (e.g., tax and hedging impacts), nonmonetary currency devaluation (e.g., remeasurement gains and losses), debt prepayment and extinguishment (benefit)/costs, and certain significant discrete income tax items, and including, when they occur, adjustments to reflect preferred stock dividend payments on an accrual basis.
The Kraft Heinz Company
Reconciliation of Net Sales to Organic Net Sales
(dollars in millions)
(Unaudited)
Net Sales
Currency
Acquisitions and Divestitures
Organic Net Sales
Price
Volume/Mix
North America
International Developed Markets
Emerging Markets
Kraft Heinz
North America
International Developed Markets
Emerging Markets
Kraft Heinz
Year-over-year growth rates
North America
International Developed Markets
Emerging Markets
Kraft Heinz
The Kraft Heinz Company
Reconciliation of Operating Income/(Loss) to Adjusted Operating Income
(in millions)
(Unaudited)
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
Operating income/(loss)
Restructuring activities
Unrealized losses/(gains) on commodity hedges
Impairment losses
Separation costs
Adjusted Operating Income
The Kraft Heinz Company
Reconciliation of Diluted EPS to Adjusted EPS
(Unaudited)
December 27, 2025
December 28, 2024
Diluted EPS
Restructuring activities (a)
Unrealized losses/(gains) on commodity hedges (b)
Impairment losses (c)
Separation costs (d)
Losses/(gains) on sale of business (e)
Nonmonetary currency devaluation (f)
Certain significant discrete income tax items (g)
Adjusted EPS
(a) Gross expenses/(income) included in restructuring activities were expenses of $21 million ($18 million after-tax) in 2025 and $20 million ($18 million after-tax) in 2024 and were recorded in the following income statement line items:
• Cost of products sold included expenses of $1 million in 2025 and $8 million in 2024;
• SG&A included expenses of $12 million in 2025 and $19 million in 2024; and
• Other expense/(income) included expenses of $8 million in 2025 and income of $7 million in 2024.
(b) Gross expenses/(income) included in unrealized losses/(gains) on commodity hedges were expenses of $35 million ($26 million after-tax) in 2025 and income of $19 million ($15 million after-tax) in 2024 and were recorded in cost of products sold.
(c) Gross impairment losses included the following:
• Goodwill impairment losses of $6.7 billion ($6.7 billion after-tax) in 2025 and $1.6 billion ($1.6 billion after-tax) in 2024, which were recorded in SG&A; and
• Intangible asset impairment losses of $2.6 billion ($2.0 billion after-tax) in 2025 and $2.0 billion ($1.6 billion after-tax) in 2024, which were recorded in SG&A.
(d) Gross expenses recorded in separation costs were $60 million ($53 million after-tax) in 2025 and were recorded in SG&A.
(e) Gross expenses/(income) included in losses/(gains) on sale of business were expenses of $42 million ($42 million after-tax) in 2025 and expenses of $81 million ($60 million after-tax) in 2024 and were recorded in other expense/(income).
(f) Gross expenses included in nonmonetary currency devaluation were $34 million ($34 million after-tax) in 2025 and $16 million ($16 million after-tax) in 2024 and were recorded in other expense/(income).
(g) Certain significant discrete income tax items included expenses of $73.0 million in 2025 and a benefit of $2.2 billion in 2024. The expense in 2025 related to an adjustment to the valuation allowance associated with a non-U.S. deferred tax asset recognized in 2024 as a result of the movement of certain business operations to a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands. The benefit in 2024 represented the recognition of a foreign deferred tax asset ($3.0 billion) and an associated valuation allowance ($0.6 billion) related to the transfer of business operations to a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands, partially offset by the establishment of a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets in our subsidiary in Brazil.
- Exhibit 10ex10hcamendedrestatedsever.htm · 106.0 KB
- Exhibit 107ex107thekraftheinzcompanya.htm · 69.6 KB
- Exhibit 211exhibit211q42025.htm · 91.9 KB
- Exhibit 221exhibit221q42025.htm · 9.0 KB
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- Exhibit 241exhibit241q42025.htm · 21.2 KB
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- 0001637459-26-000009-index-headers.html0001637459-26-000009-index-headers.html
- Ticker
- KHC
- CIK
0001637459- Form Type
- 10-K
- Accession Number
0001637459-26-000009- Filed
- Feb 12, 2026
- Period
- Dec 27, 2025 (Q4 25)
- Industry
- Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties
External resources
Permalink
https://insiderdelta.com/issuers/KHC/10-k/0001637459-26-000009