Tyson Foods' Q1 Earnings Coming Up: What Should Investors Expect?

Tyson Foods, Inc. TSN is likely to register growth in its top line when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Feb. 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net sales is pegged at $14.1 billion, suggesting an increase of 3.7% from the prior-year quarter. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.01 per share, which indicates a decline of 11.4% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark has increased 3.1% in the past 30 days. TSN has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of almost 28.6%, on average.

Tyson Foods, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Tyson Foods, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Tyson Foods, Inc. Quote

Key Points to Note Ahead of TSN’s Q1 Results

Tyson Foods’ upcoming first-quarter fiscal 2026 results are expected to benefit from continued strength across its diversified protein portfolio, which management emphasized as a key competitive advantage. Demand for protein remains resilient, with consumers increasingly prioritizing affordable, high-quality options. Against this backdrop, chicken is positioned to be a primary beneficiary, supported by continued retail and foodservice demand, a growing mix of value-added products, and improved operational execution. Gains from these actions are expected to have bolstered the company’s performance in the quarter under review.

Operational execution is another critical driver. Tyson Foods has made meaningful progress in improving yield, capacity utilization, labor productivity and service levels across its network. These gains are particularly evident in chicken and prepared foods segments, where fill rates reached their highest levels since 2013. Management noted that disciplined execution has unlocked efficiencies, particularly in prepared foods, without the need for incremental capacity investments. 

Prepared foods’ performance is likely to have reflected improving fundamentals. Management highlighted that recent margin softness was largely due to timing lags in pricing versus raw material inflation, which is expected to ease. With continued brand momentum and a robust innovation pipeline tailored to convenience and protein-forward consumer trends, prepared foods should see steadier volume trends. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Tyson Foods’ Prepared Foods segment sales is pegged at $2,590 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, indicating growth from $2,473 million reported in the prior-year quarter.

Tyson Foods’ growth strategy is also focused on strengthening performance in its international business by managing controllable costs, improving efficiency and aligning operations with regional market needs, reinforcing its global footprint. 

However, profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 might have been pressured by higher costs despite steady demand. Tight cattle supplies are keeping beef input costs elevated, weighing on margins. In prepared foods, delays in passing through higher raw material costs could limit near-term profitability. In addition, seasonal factors and ongoing commodity volatility may continue to influence margins.

Earnings Whispers for TSN Stock

Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Tyson Foods this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Tyson Foods currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 and has an Earnings ESP of +1.49%.

Other Stocks With the Favorable Combination

Here are some other companies that, according to our model, also have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.

The Hershey Company HSY currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.66% and sports a Zacks Rank of 1. The consensus estimate for Hershey’s quarterly revenues is pinned at $2.99 billion, which calls for 3.6% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hershey’s upcoming quarter’s EPS is pegged at $1.40, which implies a 48% decrease year over year. HSY delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of nearly 15%, on average.

The Estee Lauder Companies EL has an Earnings ESP of +6.62% and carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. EL is likely to register growth in its top and bottom lines when it releases second-quarter fiscal 2026 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $4.2 billion, which implies growth of 5.3% from the figure in the prior-year quarter. 

The consensus estimate for Estee Lauder’s bottom line has moved up 3.8% to 83 cents per share in the past 30 days. The estimate indicates 33.9% growth from the year-ago quarter’s actual. EL delivered an earnings surprise of 82.6%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Celsius Holdings, Inc. CELH currently has an Earnings ESP of +15.27% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The consensus estimate for Celsius Holdings’ quarterly revenues is pegged at $639.2 million, which indicates a surge of 92.4% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Celsius Holdings’ upcoming quarter’s EPS is pegged at 19 cents, which implies a 35.7% increase year over year. CELH delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 42.9%, on average.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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