OXNARD, Calif., Feb. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVO) (“Mission” or “the Company”) a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, today announced it will release its financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended January 31, 2026 after the market closes on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The Company will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its financial results at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on the same day. Conference Call Details The confere ...

Key Takeaways Mission Produce continues to sustain revenue growth despite softer average avocado prices.Mission Produce is boosting shipment volumes and expanding sourcing to offset pricing pressure.Mission Produce leverages its vertically integrated model to optimize supply and protect margins.Mission Produce, Inc.’s (AVO) revenue growth continues to be tested by a challenging pricing environment, even as demand for fresh produce remains resilient. In a business where prices are heavily influenced by suppl ...

Key Takeaways AVO shares rose 26.2% in three months, outperforming the broader market, its industry and key competitors.Strong investor confidence stems from Mission Produce's vertically integrated supply and distribution model.Global growth in avocados, mangoes and blueberries drives Mission Produce's expanding market footprint.Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO) has shown a consistent upward trend in recent months. By balancing growth in emerging markets with stable demand from more mature regions, the company ha ...

Core Insights - Mission Produce, Inc.'s vertically integrated model is crucial for its strategy, particularly during pricing volatility and cost pressures, aiming to enhance profitability consistency by controlling key parts of the value chain [1][3] - The company reported a gross margin of 17.5% in Q4 fiscal 2025, an increase of 180 basis points year over year, demonstrating its ability to manage profitability despite declining avocado prices [2][8] - Vertical integration provides Mission Produce with advantages such as sourcing flexibility and cost control, which can help stabilize margins and support long-term earnings power [3] Financial Performance - Mission Produce's gross margin resilience is attributed to higher volumes and better asset utilization, which helped offset sharp declines in avocado pricing [2][8] - The company's shares have increased by 16% over the last six months, outperforming the industry growth of 2.2% [7] - The forward price-to-earnings ratio for Mission Produce is 22.49X, significantly higher than the industry average of 14.87X [9] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a year-over-year decline of 10.13% in fiscal 2026 earnings, followed by a growth of 4.23% in fiscal 2027 [10] - EPS estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 have remained stable over the past week, with current estimates of 0.71 for fiscal 2026 and 0.74 for fiscal 2027 [11]

Core Insights - Mission Produce Inc. (AVO) and Limoneira Company (LMNR) represent two distinct growth strategies in the fresh produce market, with AVO focusing on global avocado dominance and LMNR on diversification in citrus and real estate [1][2][3] Group 1: Mission Produce (AVO) - AVO has established itself as a global leader in avocados, achieving record revenues of $1.39 billion in fiscal 2025, a 13% increase year-over-year, with avocado volumes rising 7% to 691 million pounds [4][10] - The company has significantly increased its exportable Peruvian avocado production, more than doubling it to approximately 105 million pounds [5] - AVO's integrated global platform allows for real-time geographic pivoting, optimizing margins and enhancing customer penetration, particularly in Europe and Asia [6] - Beyond avocados, AVO is expanding into adjacent categories like mangoes and blueberries, leveraging its consumer engagement strategies [7] - The financial model emphasizes disciplined capital allocation and cash generation, with a focus on enhancing free cash flow and strategic flexibility [8] - AVO's stock has recorded an 18.2% total return over the past six months, outperforming LMNR's 14.1% rise [20] Group 2: Limoneira Company (LMNR) - LMNR is a diversified agribusiness with a strong focus on lemons and a growing presence in avocados, controlling significant citrus acreage in California and Arizona [11] - In avocados, LMNR is a smaller player, primarily relying on domestic orchards and joint ventures, which limits its competitive positioning in the broader avocado market [12] - The company emphasizes cost management and land monetization strategies, but its growth is closely tied to agricultural yields and commodity pricing [13] - LMNR's reliance on U.S. production and export markets, along with agricultural volatility, may constrain its scalability compared to larger peers [14] - LMNR's fiscal 2026 loss per share is estimated at 24 cents, improving from a prior year's loss of 79 cents, with a projected earnings per share of 93 cents for fiscal 2027 [18] Group 3: Comparative Analysis - AVO trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 0.77X, below its 5-year median of 0.85X, and at a discount to LMNR's forward P/S multiple of 2.05X [22] - The market has not fully priced in AVO's earnings potential, suggesting an attractive valuation combined with growth prospects [26] - AVO is rated as a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), while LMNR carries a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell) [26]

Group 1: Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO) Overview - Mission Produce is experiencing strong sales momentum with revenues increasing due to strong consumer demand, expanding international reach, and higher shipment volumes, despite challenges from rising tariffs, trade uncertainty, and cost inflation [1][2] - Revenue growth in fiscal 2025 shows a strong start with 29% growth in Q1 and 28% in Q2, followed by a normalization to 10% growth in both Q3 and Q4, indicating healthy demand and effective execution [1][7] - AVO's growth is primarily volume-driven, suggesting that demand remains robust even as pricing and market conditions become more challenging [7] Group 2: Strategic Positioning and Future Outlook - Sustaining growth will depend on AVO's ability to execute amid rising tariffs and cost pressures, leveraging its diversified sourcing network and vertically integrated model to manage supply shifts and protect margins [2][7] - The recent moderation in revenue growth may indicate normalization rather than a loss of momentum, allowing AVO to maintain its growth narrative despite external challenges [2] Group 3: Valuation and Market Performance - AVO shares have increased by 9.3% over the last six months, outperforming the industry growth of 3.4% [6] - AVO trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 21.20X, significantly higher than the industry average of 14.23X, indicating a premium valuation [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVO's fiscal 2026 earnings suggests a decline of 10.13%, while fiscal 2027 indicates a growth of 4.23%, with EPS estimates remaining stable over the past week [9]

Core Insights - Mission Produce (AVO) is currently facing challenges in the avocado business, experiencing a downturn and reporting losses despite its leading market position in a growing industry [1]. Group 1: Company Performance - The avocado business of Mission Produce is not performing well, leading to financial losses [1]. - The company is recognized as a leader in the avocado market, which is experiencing growth, yet it is struggling to capitalize on this trend [1]. Group 2: Investment Opportunities - The investment group "Value In Corporate Events" focuses on identifying actionable ideas from major corporate events such as earnings reports, M&A, and IPOs [1]. - The group aims to provide coverage of approximately 10 major events each month to uncover the best investment opportunities [1].

Core Insights - Village Farms International, Inc. (VFF) and Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO) operate in the fresh produce sector with different business models, where VFF focuses on greenhouse agriculture and higher-margin categories, while AVO specializes in avocados with a vertically integrated approach [1][2] Village Farms Overview - Village Farms emphasizes profitability, cost control, and efficient asset utilization to stabilize its results [2][20] - The company benefits from a controlled-environment growing model that ensures reliable production and consistent quality, regardless of external weather conditions, leading to steadier margins [4] - VFF's greenhouse operations provide flexibility in scaling production and shifting crop mix without significant capital expenditure, allowing for efficient capital use [5] - In addition to produce, Village Farms has developed a cannabis business, leveraging its growing expertise to focus on higher-quality products and international market expansion [6][7] - The company's strategy combines stability from its produce business with growth potential from cannabis, positioning it as a diversified agricultural platform [7] Mission Produce Overview - Mission Produce is the largest fully integrated avocado producer globally, achieving record sales of 691 million pounds of avocados in fiscal 2025, while expanding its market presence in Europe and Asia [8] - The company benefits from a high U.S. household penetration rate of nearly 70%, driving category growth through promotions and strong retailer partnerships [9] - AVO's competitive advantage lies in its integrated platform that covers sourcing, farming, ripening, and distribution, ensuring supply consistency and quality control [10] - The company is also expanding its portfolio to include blueberries and mangoes, targeting health-conscious consumers through digital investments and data-driven strategies [11] - Mission Produce's strong cash generation and balance sheet are highlighted by record adjusted EBITDA and over $180 million in operating cash flow, with low leverage [12] Financial Performance and Valuation - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a year-over-year sales decline of about 27% for Village Farms, while EPS is expected to grow by 165.6% [13] - For Mission Produce, the current fiscal-year sales and EPS estimates show declines of 10.2% and 10.1%, respectively, but EPS estimates have increased by 47.9% to 71 cents [16] - Over the past year, Village Farms shares have increased by 381.9%, significantly outperforming Mission Produce's growth of 11.7% and the S&P 500's return of 17.6% [18] - Village Farms trades at a forward price-to-sales multiple of 1.55, above its historical median, while Mission Produce trades at 0.76, reflecting a more balanced risk-reward profile [18] Investment Outlook - Village Farms offers a mix of greenhouse produce and cannabis exposure, but its investment case relies on effective execution across its diverse businesses [20] - Mission Produce presents a more focused and predictable investment story, emphasizing scale and operational control, making it a more attractive option for investors seeking stability and reliable performance [20][21]

Group 1: Mission Produce, Inc. Overview - Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO) has achieved a 10% revenue growth, indicating a rebound in a business historically affected by pricing volatility and supply-driven fluctuations [2][9] - The growth is primarily driven by stronger avocado volumes, supported by global sourcing and improved supply chain consistency, along with increasing contributions from blueberries and mangoes [3][9] - The company is leveraging its vertically integrated platform across multiple fruit categories, reducing reliance on any single crop or region [3] Group 2: Growth Sustainability and Strategy - Sustaining multi-segment growth will depend on execution and market conditions, as newer categories may carry higher costs and margin variability [4] - Mission Produce's focus on volume growth, per-unit margin discipline, and operational efficiency suggests a more balanced growth profile is developing [4] - If the company can continue to scale its non-avocado segments while maintaining profitability, the recent revenue increase may indicate the beginning of a broader, more resilient growth trajectory [4] Group 3: Market Performance and Valuation - Mission Produce shares have increased by 12.1% over the last six months, outperforming the industry growth of 0.1% [8] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 21.30X, significantly higher than the industry average of 15.57X [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVO's fiscal 2026 earnings suggests a year-over-year decline of 10.13%, while fiscal 2027 indicates growth of 4.23% [11]

Core Viewpoint - Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO) has shown strong stock performance, with a 14.5% increase over the past month and reaching a new 52-week high of $14.23 [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - The stock has gained 16% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the Zacks Consumer Staples sector's 3% and the Zacks Agriculture - Operations industry's 11.2% [1] Group 2: Earnings Performance - Mission Produce has consistently beaten earnings estimates, reporting an EPS of $0.31 against a consensus estimate of $0.19 in its last earnings report [2] - The company also exceeded the consensus revenue estimate by 2.15% in the same report [2] Group 3: Future Earnings Projections - For the current fiscal year, Mission Produce is expected to post earnings of $0.71 per share on revenues of $1.25 billion, reflecting a -10.13% change in EPS and a -10.2% change in revenues [3] - For the next fiscal year, earnings are projected to be $0.74 per share on revenues of $1.27 billion, indicating a year-over-year change of 4.23% in EPS and 1.7% in revenues [3] Group 4: Valuation Metrics - The stock currently trades at 19 times the current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is above the peer industry average of 14.7 times [7] - On a trailing cash flow basis, it trades at 11.3 times compared to the peer group's average of 7.2 times, positioning Mission Produce favorably for value investors [7] Group 5: Zacks Rank and Style Scores - Mission Produce holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) due to rising earnings estimates, meeting the criteria for investors seeking stocks with strong potential [8] - The company has a Value Score of A, a Growth Score of A, and a Momentum Score of D, resulting in a combined VGM Score of A [6]