Let’s dig into the relative performance of Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC) and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q4 shelf-stable food earnings season.

As America industrialized and moved away from an agricultural economy, people faced more demands on their time. Packaged foods emerged as a solution offering convenience to the evolving American family, whether it be canned goods or snacks. Today, Americans seek brands that are high in quality, reliable, and reasonably priced. Furthermore, there's a growing emphasis on health-conscious and sustainable food options. Packaged food stocks are considered resilient investments. People always need to eat, so these companies can enjoy consistent demand as long as they stay on top of changing consumer preferences. The industry spans from multinational corporations to smaller specialized firms and is subject to food safety and labeling regulations.

The 17 shelf-stable food stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 14.1% since the latest earnings results.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC)

The result of a 2015 mega-merger between Kraft and Heinz, Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC) is a packaged foods giant whose products span coffee to cheese to packaged meat.

Kraft Heinz reported revenues of $6.35 billion, down 3.4% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a significant miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 11.1% since reporting and currently trades at $22.14.

Read our full report on Kraft Heinz here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Hershey (NYSE: HSY)

Best known for its milk chocolate bar and Hershey's Kisses, Hershey (NYSE: HSY) is an iconic company known for its chocolate products.

Hershey reported revenues of $3.09 billion, up 7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and full-year EPS guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 4.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $215.12.

Is now the time to buy Hershey? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Campbell's (NASDAQ: CPB)

With its iconic canned soup as its cornerstone product, Campbell's (NASDAQ: CPB) is a packaged food company with an illustrious portfolio of brands.

Campbell's reported revenues of $2.56 billion, down 4.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 14.5% since the results and currently trades at $21.11.

Read our full analysis of Campbell’s results here.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE: SJM)

Best known for its fruit jams and spreads, J.M Smucker (NYSE: SJM) is a packaged foods company whose products span from peanut butter and coffee to pet food.

J. M. Smucker reported revenues of $2.34 billion, up 7% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. It was a strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

The stock is down 4.5% since reporting and currently trades at $101.76.

Read our full, actionable report on J. M. Smucker here, it’s free.

Utz (NYSE: UTZ)

Tracing its roots back to 1921 when Bill and Salie Utz began making potato chips in their kitchen, Utz Brands (NYSE: UTZ) offers salty snacks such as potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, and ready-to-eat popcorn, among others.

Utz reported revenues of $342.2 million, flat year on year. This print met analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is down 31.7% since reporting and currently trades at $7.61.

Read our full, actionable report on Utz here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.