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Krispy Kreme, Inc. (DNUT)
NASDAQ:DNUT
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Krispy Kreme (DNUT) AI Stock Analysis

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DNUT

Krispy Kreme

(NASDAQ:DNUT)

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Neutral 57 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:57Neutral
Price Target:
$4.00
▲(10.80% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:06/13/26
The score is held back primarily by weak financial performance (sharp TTM revenue decline and large net losses, with inconsistent/negative free cash flow). Offsetting this, the earnings call guidance and Q1 profitability/cash-flow improvements are supportive, and the technical setup is bullish though near-term momentum appears overextended. Valuation provides limited support due to negative earnings and no dividend yield data.
Positive Factors
Refranchising / capital-light shift
Krispy Kreme's active refranchising (Japan sale, WKS JV shift) converts company-owned stores to franchised partners, generating cash and lowering capital needs. This structurally reduces volatility from store capex, supports faster net unit growth via franchisees, and accelerates deleveraging over multiple quarters.
Negative Factors
Sharp TTM revenue and profitability decline
A >50% TTM revenue drop and large negative net margin show persistent demand and operating issues that can erode scale economics. Even with gross margin strength, recurring overhead and reduced company-owned revenue create a structural headwind to restoring operating profit absent sustained top-line recovery or further capital-light transitions.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Refranchising / capital-light shift
Krispy Kreme's active refranchising (Japan sale, WKS JV shift) converts company-owned stores to franchised partners, generating cash and lowering capital needs. This structurally reduces volatility from store capex, supports faster net unit growth via franchisees, and accelerates deleveraging over multiple quarters.
Read all positive factors

Krispy Kreme (DNUT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Krispy Kreme Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
Krispy Kreme, Inc., operating alongside its various subsidiaries, focuses on creating and distributing distinctive doughnut experiences through a comprehensive omni-channel business model. Its operations are structured across three primary divisio...
How the Company Makes Money
Krispy Kreme makes money primarily by selling doughnuts (its core product) and related items through multiple channels. (1) Company-operated sales: Revenue is generated from direct-to-consumer sales at company-owned shops and other company-run poi...

Krispy Kreme Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:May 07, 2026
(Q1-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 06, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presents a predominantly positive outlook: the company demonstrated meaningful profitability improvement (38% adjusted EBITDA growth), generated positive free cash flow in Q1, advanced refranchising to reduce capital intensity and debt, and provided constructive 2026 guidance (net revenue $1.25B–$1.35B; adjusted EBITDA $140M–$150M). Headwinds include a modest decline in net revenue (-2.2%) and localized declines in some segments (U.S. organic revenue -4%, International EBITDA -2.9%) largely related to strategic refranchising and prior door closures. Given the stronger set of measurable improvements in profitability, cash flow, deleveraging progress and operational initiatives versus the manageable revenue and regional challenges, the overall tone is positive.
Positive Updates
Adjusted EBITDA Growth
Adjusted EBITDA of $33.1M in Q1, up 38% year-over-year, marking the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year adjusted EBITDA growth driven by productivity initiatives and corporate cost control.
Negative Updates
Net Revenue Decline
Net revenue of $367M in Q1, down 2.2% year-over-year, driven in part by strategic closure of underperforming doors completed in Q3 2025.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Negative
Adjusted EBITDA Growth
Adjusted EBITDA of $33.1M in Q1, up 38% year-over-year, marking the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year adjusted EBITDA growth driven by productivity initiatives and corporate cost control.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Krispy Kreme's 2026 guidance calls for net revenue of $1.25–$1.35 billion, system‑wide sales growth of 2–4% in constant currency from $1.96 billion in 2025 (to just over $2.0 billion), adjusted EBITDA of $140–$150 million (the outlook includes completed refranchisings with an estimated ~$15 million of annualized EBITDA benefit), CapEx of $50–$60 million (about a 50% reduction YoY), positive free cash flow of more than $15 million and a net leverage target below 5.5x; management also expects at least 100 shop openings this year (26 opened in Q1), a system of >2,100 locations across 42 countries, franchise sales mix up to ~42% (targeting ~50% in 2027), liquidity of >$300 million, and bank leverage below 4x (reducing the credit facility rate by 25 bps). Q1 metrics cited alongside the guidance included net revenue of $367 million (−2.2% YoY), system‑wide sales of $485.3 million (+0.7% constant currency ex‑McDonald’s), adjusted EBITDA of $33.1 million (+38% YoY), U.S. average weekly sales of $685 (+16.7% YoY) and U.S. adjusted EBITDA of $25.5 million (+61%).

Krispy Kreme Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Fundamentals are strained: TTM revenue fell sharply (-53.5%) with deeply negative profitability (net margin -33.4%). Balance-sheet leverage has improved meaningfully (debt/equity ~0.70x vs ~2.17x in 2025), but equity remains pressured by large losses (ROE ~-76%). Operating cash flow is positive ($75.3M) yet free cash flow is slightly negative (-$5.5M) and has weakened materially (TTM FCF growth -91.3%).
Income Statement
22
Negative
Balance Sheet
48
Neutral
Cash Flow
34
Negative
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.51B1.52B1.67B1.69B1.53B1.38B
Gross Profit728.14M213.95M1.26B1.24B1.12B1.03B
EBITDA-321.47M-341.73M213.43M135.24M136.20M140.52M
Net Income-510.67M-515.77M3.10M-37.92M-15.62M-24.51M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets2.39B2.59B3.07B3.24B3.15B3.15B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments74.22M-42.39M28.96M38.19M35.37M38.56M
Total Debt444.73M1.42B1.35B1.40B1.24B1.18B
Total Liabilities1.75B1.92B1.91B1.98B1.85B1.81B
Stockholders Equity631.79M656.20M1.13B1.17B1.20B1.23B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-5.89M-64.00M-74.96M-75.88M28.10M21.73M
Operating Cash Flow74.92M33.92M45.83M45.54M139.82M141.22M
Investing Cash Flow113.72M-12.14M19.28M-112.59M-120.88M-153.41M
Financing Cash Flow-133.01M-7.76M-73.95M71.86M-17.43M16.10M

Krispy Kreme Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price3.61
Price Trends
50DMA
3.59
Positive
100DMA
3.44
Positive
200DMA
3.63
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.13
Negative
RSI
53.86
Neutral
STOCH
44.11
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For DNUT, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 3.61 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 3.60, above the 50-day MA of 3.59, and below the 200-day MA of 3.63, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.13 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 53.86 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 44.11 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for DNUT.

Krispy Kreme Risk Analysis

Krispy Kreme disclosed 40 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Krispy Kreme reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Krispy Kreme Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
68
Neutral
$547.75M9.7911.37%2.63%4.20%-3.38%
66
Neutral
$704.13M14.7322.26%1.99%3.09%16.13%
62
Neutral
$20.33B14.63-3.31%3.23%1.93%-12.26%
57
Neutral
$663.74M-1.27-76.98%3.34%-5.22%-2258.17%
56
Neutral
$1.65B15.866.41%0.93%-0.28%68.37%
49
Neutral
$977.36M-2.44-36.58%6.04%-2370.84%
49
Neutral
$498.54M8.6736.14%-18.47%32.49%
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
DNUT
Krispy Kreme
3.78
1.11
41.57%
IMKTA
Ingles Markets
87.07
26.46
43.67%
VLGEA
Village Super Market
40.39
4.34
12.04%
NGVC
Natural Grocers
30.72
-9.02
-22.70%
GO
Grocery Outlet Holding
9.48
-3.96
-29.46%
DDL
Dingdong
2.24
0.24
12.00%

Krispy Kreme Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Krispy Kreme Shareholders Back Board, Pay and Auditor
Positive
Jun 12, 2026
At its June 10, 2026 virtual annual meeting, Krispy Kreme stockholders elected eight directors to one-year terms and endorsed the company’s executive compensation in an advisory vote, signaling continued support for current leadership and pa...
Executive/Board Changes
Krispy Kreme strengthens leadership with new board, CFO terms
Positive
Apr 6, 2026
On April 1, 2026, Krispy Kreme’s board elected David Shear and former Kraft Heinz Global Chief People Officer Melissa Werneck as independent directors, effective April 2, 2026, with Werneck joining the Compensation, Nomination, and Governanc...
Business Operations and StrategyM&A TransactionsPrivate Placements and Financing
Krispy Kreme Advances Refranchising Strategy with WKS Deal
Positive
Mar 24, 2026
On March 23, 2026, Krispy Kreme completed a refranchising transaction with WKS Restaurant Group that lifted WKS’s stake in their Western U.S. joint venture to 80% while reducing Krispy Kreme’s interest to 20%. The deal brought the comp...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jun 13, 2026