first quarter of fiscal 2027
Filed Sep 2, 2026Filed under $BF-ABROWN-FORMAN REPORTS FIRST QUARTER FISCAL 2027 RESULTS; REAFFIRMS FULL YEAR OUTLOOK
Reported net sales decreased 1% to $911 million and reported operating income decreased 3% to $252 million, while gross margin expanded 40 basis points to 60.2%, diluted earnings per share increased 6% to $0.38, and free cash flow increased to $161 million.
Key metrics
as reported| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net salesGAAP | $911 million | – | (1%) |
| Organic change in net salesnon-GAAP | (1%) | – | (1%) |
| Cost of salesGAAP | $362 million | – | (2%) |
| Gross profitGAAP | $549 million | – | (1%) |
| Organic change in gross profitnon-GAAP | 1% | – | 1% |
| Gross marginGAAP | 60.2 % | – | 40 basis points |
| Advertising expensesGAAP | $114 million | – | (5%) |
| Organic change in advertising expensesnon-GAAP | (4%) | – | (4%) |
| Selling, general, and administrative expensesGAAP | $185 million | – | 4% |
| Organic change in SG&Anon-GAAP | 5% | – | 5% |
| Restructuring and other chargesGAAP | — | – | (100%) |
| Other expense (income), netGAAP | $(2) million | – | – |
| Operating incomeGAAP | $252 million | – | (3%) |
| Organic change in operating incomenon-GAAP | 4% | – | 4% |
| Operating marginGAAP | 27.7 % | – | decrease of 50 basis points |
| Non-operating postretirement expenseGAAP | $1 million | – | – |
| Interest expense, netGAAP | $22 million | – | – |
| Income before income taxesGAAP | $229 million | – | 4% |
| Income taxesGAAP | $53 million | – | – |
| Net incomeGAAP | $176 million | – | 3% |
| Basic earnings per shareGAAP | $0.38 | – | 7% |
| Diluted earnings per shareGAAP | $0.38 | – | 6% |
| Effective tax rateGAAP | 23.0 % | – | – |
| Cash provided by operating activitiesGAAP | $173 million | – | $13 million |
| Additions to property, plant, and equipmentGAAP | $(12) million | – | – |
| Free cash flownon-GAAP | $161 million | – | $32 million |
Segments
| Segment | Revenue | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| WhiskeyThe continued international launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry was offset by declines of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Gentleman Jack, while Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey was flat. | Not reported | – | — % |
| Ready-to-DrinkDriven by New Mix. | Not reported | – | 20% |
| New MixStrong consumer demand in Mexico, the positive effect of foreign exchange, and the product’s launch in the United States. | Not reported | – | 48% |
| TequilaHerradura and el Jimador both declined. | Not reported | – | (12%) |
| el JimadorLower net pricing in the United States. | Not reported | – | (10%) |
| HerraduraLower volumes in the United States and lower net pricing in Mexico. | Not reported | – | (17%) |
| Rest of PortfolioThe end of the Korbel relationship. | Not reported | – | (35%) |
| Non-branded and bulkLower used barrel sales. | Not reported | – | (61%) |
| United StatesThe end of the Korbel relationship, an estimated net decrease in distributor inventories reflecting prior-year distributor transitions, and lower volumes of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Blackberry were partially offset by higher volumes of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and the impact of the JDCC transition. | Not reported | – | (3%) |
| Developed InternationalLower volumes of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey in Germany, France, and Spain. | Not reported | – | (6%) |
| EmergingMexico, fueled by the double-digit growth of New Mix. | Not reported | – | 11% |
| MexicoNot reported. | Not reported | – | 26% |
| Travel RetailMiddle East geopolitical headwinds and lower volumes of Gin Mare, partially offset by the launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry. | Not reported | – | (1%) |
fiscal 2027 outlook
- RevenueOrganic net sales to be approximately flat.
- Tax rateOur effective tax rate to be in the range of approximately 20% to 22%.
- NoteOrganic operating income to decline in the 3% to 5% range.
- NoteCapital expenditures planned to be in the range of $60 to $70 million.
Capital returns
- On July 23, 2026, the Brown-Forman Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.2310 per share on its Class A and Class B common stock.
- The dividend is payable on October 1, 2026, to stockholders of record on September 3, 2026.
- Cash dividends paid per common share were $0.2310, compared with $0.2265.
- Dividends paid were $(106) million, compared with $(107) million.
- Diluted earnings per share increased $0.02 in part from the accretive impact from share repurchases executed in the prior year.
What drove it
- Ready-to-Drink net sales increased 20% and New Mix net sales increased 48%.
- Emerging-market net sales increased 11%, led by Mexico, where net sales increased 26%.
- Gross margin expanded 40 basis points to 60.2% on lower costs and the end of the Korbel relationship, partially offset by foreign exchange and unfavorable price/mix.
- Advertising expenses decreased 5%, driven by the timing of spend across the Jack Daniel’s family of brands.
- Diluted earnings per share increased $0.02, driven by lower non-operating postretirement expense and the accretive impact from prior-year share repurchases.
Concerns
- Net sales decreased 1% and organic net sales decreased 1%.
- Operating income decreased 3% and operating margin decreased 50 basis points to 27.7%.
- SG&A expenses increased 4%, driven by the timing of costs related to targeted organizational realignments.
- Tequila net sales decreased 12%, including declines of 17% for Herradura and 10% for el Jimador.
- Developed International net sales decreased 6%, including declines in Germany, France, and Spain.
- The company expects macroeconomic pressures and geopolitical instability to continue to negatively impact consumer behavior and beverage alcohol consumption, particularly within developed markets.
What to watch
- Whether fiscal 2027 organic net sales are approximately flat, as guided.
- Whether fiscal 2027 organic operating income declines in the guided 3% to 5% range.
- Growth from New Mix and the expansion of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry.
- The impact of U.S. distributor changes and the estimated net decrease in distributor inventories.
- Performance in Developed International markets and the impact of Middle East geopolitical headwinds on Travel Retail.
- Execution of the previously announced restructuring initiative and targeted organizational realignments.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Cash and cash equivalents were $301 million at July 31, 2026, compared with $308 million at April 30, 2026.
- Total assets were $7,825 million at July 31, 2026, compared with $7,894 million at April 30, 2026.
- Short-term borrowings were $358 million at July 31, 2026, compared with $68 million at April 30, 2026.
- Long-term debt was $2,083 million at July 31, 2026 and $2,083 million at April 30, 2026.
- The company repaid the $343 million (€300 million) principal amount of its 1.20% senior notes on the July 7, 2026 maturity date.
- Cash provided by operating activities was $173 million, compared with $160 million.
- Additions to property, plant, and equipment were $(12) million, compared with $(31) million.
- Free cash flow was $161 million, compared with $129 million.
Analysis
Brown-Forman opened fiscal 2027 with reported net sales of $911 million, down 1% from $924 million, while organic net sales also decreased 1%. The reported decline reflected the end of the Korbel relationship, lower used barrel sales, and weakness in tequila. Geographic trends were similarly uneven: Emerging-market net sales increased 11%, while the United States declined 3%, Developed International declined 6%, and Travel Retail declined 1%.
Mix remained a central differentiator. Ready-to-Drink net sales increased 20%, led by a 48% increase in New Mix, supported by demand in Mexico, foreign exchange, and its U.S. launch. In contrast, tequila net sales decreased 12%, with Herradura down 17% and el Jimador down 10%. The company also reported flat Whiskey net sales, as the international launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry offset declines in Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Gentleman Jack.
Profitability showed gross-margin improvement but lower operating leverage. Gross profit decreased 1% to $549 million, while gross margin expanded 40 basis points to 60.2% on lower costs and the end of the Korbel relationship. Advertising expenses decreased 5%, but SG&A expenses increased 4% due to the timing of costs related to targeted organizational realignments. As a result, operating income decreased 3% to $252 million and operating margin decreased 50 basis points to 27.7%.
Below operating income, lower non-operating postretirement expense and the accretive impact of prior-year share repurchases supported a $0.02 increase in diluted earnings per share to $0.38. Cash provided by operating activities increased $13 million to $173 million, while free cash flow increased $32 million to $161 million, aided by lower capital expenditure needs. The company repaid $343 million (€300 million) principal amount of 1.20% senior notes and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2310 per share.
Management reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 outlook for approximately flat organic net sales, a 3% to 5% decline in organic operating income, an effective tax rate of approximately 20% to 22%, and capital expenditures of $60 to $70 million. The guide explicitly incorporates a challenging operating environment, macroeconomic pressures, and geopolitical instability, while relying on restructuring benefits, U.S. distributor changes, and innovation including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry.
Management, verbatim
Our first quarter results were largely in line with our expectations and reinforce our confidence in the year ahead,
Lawson Whiting, President and Chief Executive Officer
Innovation remains an important growth driver. Momentum from New Mix, our Ready-to-Drink portfolio, and Jack Daniel's Tennessee Blackberry helped offset pressures elsewhere in the business and demonstrates our ability to create new opportunities for growth even in a challenging operating environment.
Lawson Whiting, President and Chief Executive Officer
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Previous-release outlook was not provided; comparison of actual results with prior guidance is unavailable.
- Non-GAAP earnings per share was not reported.
- Non-GAAP operating income amount was not reported.
- Dollar revenue for product categories, brands, geographic areas, and Travel Retail was not reported.
- Prior-quarter comparisons were not reported for the key metrics.
- Current-period share repurchase amount was not reported.
- Gross-margin guidance was not reported.
- Operating-expense guidance was not reported.
- Debt maturities other than the July 7, 2026 repayment were not reported.
AlphAI analysis generated from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure was cross-checked against the filing text; consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.