Item 1A. Risk Factors.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Our business, operations, and financial condition are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The risk factors described in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2025, should be carefully considered, together with the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the SEC, in connection with evaluating the Company, our business, and the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may affect us. The occurrence of any of these known or unknown risks could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The risk factor described below updates the risk factors disclosed in "Part 1, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2025, to include information on an interim impairment analysis, which was performed during the third quarter of 2026.
A material impairment in the carrying value of acquired goodwill or other intangible assets could negatively affect our consolidated operating results and net worth.
A significant portion of our assets is composed of goodwill and other intangible assets, the majority of which are not amortized but are reviewed for impairment at least annually on February 1, and more often if indicators of impairment exist. At January 31, 2026, the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets totaled $10.9 billion, compared to total assets of $16.3 billion and total shareholders’ equity of $5.2 billion. If the carrying value of these assets exceeds the current estimated fair value, the asset would be considered impaired, and this would result in a noncash charge to earnings, which could be material. Events and conditions that could result in impairment include a sustained drop in the market price of our common shares, increased competition or loss of market share, obsolescence, product claims that result in a significant loss of sales or profitability over the product life, deterioration in macroeconomic conditions, declining financial performance in comparison to projected results, increased input costs beyond projections, or divestitures of significant brands.
As of January 31, 2026, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets totaled $5.2 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. The carrying values of the goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets were $2.1 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively, within the U.S. Retail Coffee segment and $1.6 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively, within the U.S. Retail Pet Foods segment, which represent approximately 80 percent of the total goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of January 31, 2026. As discussed in additional detail below, the Sweet Baked Snacks reporting unit has no remaining goodwill as a result of the impairment charges recorded during the third quarter of 2026 and the Hostess brand was reclassified as a finite-lived intangible asset.
During the third quarter of 2026, both net sales and segment profit continued to underperform as compared to plan for the Sweet Baked Snacks segment, reflecting sustained challenges in the sweet baked goods category, ongoing executional and operating challenges, and the impact of a dynamic macroeconomic environment, inclusive of continued pressures on consumer discretionary spending and an evolving regulatory environment. Furthermore, we also completed our long-range planning process during the third quarter of 2026, which resulted in a decrease in projected net sales and segment profit for the Sweet Baked Snacks segment, as compared to the projected financial information used in the previous impairment test during the fourth quarter of 2025. The declines are reflective of both near-term underperformance and long-term expectations for both net sales and segment profit, driven by the sustained reduction in consumer discretionary income due to inflationary pressures and an overall shift in consumer sentiment related to sweet baked goods, contributing to a slower than anticipated recovery in the sweet baked goods category. In addition, the overall reduction in net sales and segment profit, in conjunction with the sustained underperformance of the sweet baked goods category, led to a further reduction of the projected long-term growth rate and royalty rate for the Sweet Baked Snacks reporting unit and the Hostess brand indefinite-lived trademark, respectively.
As a result of these declines and the narrow differences between estimated fair values and carrying values as of April 30, 2025, we performed an interim impairment analysis on the goodwill of the Sweet Baked Snacks reporting unit and the Hostess brand indefinite-lived trademark. We recognized total pre-tax impairment charges of $961.7 during the third quarter of 2026, of which $507.5 and $454.2 related to the goodwill of the Sweet Baked Snacks reporting unit and the Hostess brand indefinite-lived
trademark, respectively. The goodwill impairment charge represents the full remaining carrying value of the goodwill within the Sweet Baked Snacks reporting unit and the indefinite-lived trademark impairment charge represents the excess of the carrying value over the estimated fair value. These charges were included as noncash charges in our Condensed Statement of Consolidated Income and Condensed Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows. As a result of the goodwill impairment charge, we completed an impairment review of the remaining long-lived assets within the Sweet Baked Snacks reporting unit and did not recognize any additional impairment charges. Furthermore, we reassessed the long-term strategic expectations for the Hostess brand, inclusive of the impact of recent category trends, resulting in the reprioritization of our investments in growth brands outside of the reporting unit and the brand being reclassified as a finite-lived intangible asset as of January 31, 2026. The reclassification will result in annual amortization expense of $38.8. There were no other indicators of impairment during the third quarter of 2026, and as a result, we do not believe that any of our remaining reporting units or material indefinite-lived intangible assets are more likely than not impaired as of January 31, 2026.
As of April 31, 2025, with the exception of the Sweet Baked Snacks reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible assets, the estimated fair value was substantially in excess of the carrying value for all reporting units and material indefinite-lived intangible assets, and in all instances, the estimated fair value exceeded the carrying value by greater than 10 percent. While we concluded there were no additional indicators of impairment as of January 31, 2026, any significant sustained adverse change in consumer purchasing behaviors, financial results, or macroeconomic conditions could result in future impairment. For additional information, refer to Note 7: Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers: The following table presents the total number of shares of common stock purchased during the third quarter of 2026, the average price paid per share, the number of shares that were purchased as part of a publicly announced repurchase program, if any, and the maximum number of shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs:
| Period | (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid Per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 1, 2025 - November 30, 2025 | 73 | $ | 105.24 | — | 1,111,472 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| December 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025 | 1,053 | 99.55 | — | 1,111,472 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 1, 2026 - January 31, 2026 | 37 | 103.20 | — | 1,111,472 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 1,163 | $ | 100.02 | — | 1,111,472 |
(a)Shares in this column include shares repurchased from stock plan recipients in lieu of cash payments.
(d) As of January 31, 2026, there were approximately 1.1 million common shares remaining available for repurchase pursuant to the Board’s authorizations.
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